Stormy Life
by ThunderStorm-8
Summary: Zoro and Nami, drugged and kidnapped by the navy only find comfort in each other through the pain of torture and discovery of...Final chapter up now with extras at the end REDONE
1. Captured: Zoro is taken

For everyone who read this last year I've decided to go back and edit the whole story. Lots of little changes have been made to this chapter but it's mostly in the wording. I hope this new version is more enjoyable.

I've recently become interested in this pairing again and I've started watching the newer One Piece episodes since I like the new style (though Franky annoys me)

*****

Beyond the cold walls a wild and turbulent storm raged on and troubled the sea. It was much like her past, Nami thought: wild, painful, and troubled. Still, despite her stormy history Nami considered herself a very fortunate woman. After all, she was an excellent navigator with diamond looks traveling with, in her opinion, the most powerful collection of vagrant and vagabond pirates the ocean had to offer.

So how, she asked herself, had she ended up in the Navy's pre-interrogation dungeons chained to the wall, mildly drugged, hungry as hell, and crammed next to the most efficient fighter in the group?

The answer could be found by re-tracing her more recent history to a quaint little island only two days prior.

The rough and ready Straw Hat crew of the Going Merry had docked on Sulok Island to restock vital—and/or random—supplies as well as to snatch a well deserved and much needed vacation on land. After just a few hours every weary pirate decided that the island was too good for just one day's stay. That night, Nami and Zoro went off into the most inconspicuous looking bar with the intentions of starting yet another drinking war. Nami suggested the contest shortly after dinner, and it had taken very little persuasion to convince the hard tempered swordsman to play along.

A few hours into the challenge a strange man approached them, claiming to have been sent by the harbormaster, and wanted to talk with them back at port about a small problem with the docking of the Going Merry.

Whether or not the drunken pair understood the man's urgent tone they squabbled a good three minutes over who would go. When Nami brought up the objection "But suppose he tries something funny on poor innocent me?" Zoro just snorted and clutched his temples in disbelief. She really was too much sometimes. The man smiled and suggested; "Then, perhaps the good Sir wouldn't mind coming as well? To protect the Lady?"

"Yeah, yeah." He said impatiently while he grabbed for his swords and rose from his seat. Nami smiled gracefully through all the hard liquor she'd consumed and followed the stranger out the door with Zoro fast in pursuit.

Not five minutes into the endeavor Zoro turned with deadly speed and knocked a masked attacker to the ground with the back of Sandai's scabbard. The sneak attacker quickly retreated into the shadows, leaving only the scent of his blood from his bleeding nose behind.

"Nami!" Zoro growled as he took a stance, warning her to be ready. By this time the original stranger was long gone.

"Shit…" Nami cursed as she tried to focus her tipsy eyes on the black surroundings. Slowly a dark purple haze of a cloud began to creep over them. She was the first to go down as the drug took its toll. Zoro fell not a minute later—after much struggling and a fast beating from a mostly invisible opponent. The last image in his head was the cruel eyes and leering gasmask of a Navy officer standing over him. The Navy never played fair.

So that was it, kidnapped by the Navy. And between the regulated drugging and starvation it seemed their only hope was to wait for their crew to come rescue them.

It all seemed so de-humanizing, being drugged as if they were dangerous animals. Nami realized how hard it must have been on Zoro who was a good deal more sedated than she was. The Navy finally seemed to have learned their lesson, they weren't about to take him lightly.

When he wasn't growling to himself or mumbling incoherently about an escape plan the two took up the seemingly endless time by talking. It was a small comfort, and a bit awkward at first, but both decided that it was much more enjoyable than drinking themselves into a bubbling giggling frenzy, and that they should do it more often. After all, it certainly didn't come with any nasty side effects like a pounding head the next morning.

Nami sighed emptily as she rested her head against her aching arm. Both appendages were chained up, like a sagging crucifix, and pained her greatly. Not like Zoro, who was chained down to the floor like a pentagram. 'I guess they figure the ground is stronger than the walls…'

"God…" Her handsome green haired companion nearly moaned. " I feel like shit…" There was sweat on his brow though the cell was cold. "…the fuck they put in those drugs…."

Nami turned her head just a bit and smiled at him with eyes full of sympathy and concern. "Don't think about it." After a moment's contemplation she added in a breathy voice "When we get outta this I'll make Sanji cook us gourmet for a week."

Zoro chuckled; a small cough was hung at the end. "I'd be fine with anything right now. Just no more of those damn pills."

The redheaded navigator's worry increase, she wanted to do something for him, anything. Her feet remained unbound and Nami was planning on using that advantage to take down some unsuspecting guard, but for now she move them to touch her cell-mate's shoulder.

He tilted his head up after feeling the unusual and unsuspected contact. "What?" Was his gruff response before the cell door swung open, interrupting any further response or action, and a fresh guard entered.

"'Come on, pirate scum. Time for ya' candy." The Grunt was missing a tooth on the right side and his treacherous smile seemed even emptier without it. He went to Zoro first, trying to force the pill down the powerful man's throat.

"Stop it!!" Nami yelled in protest, her chains clanking and rattling against the walls. The navigator just couldn't help herself, it was like her emotions and thoughts were overflowing without her consent. "Can't you see you're killing him?!" With the foot that had just caressed Zoro's shoulder she tried to plant a swift kick to the intruding man's abdomen.

The Grunt dodged her feeble attack and succeeded in re-administering the white delirium to a mildly shocked Zoro. His glare then turned to Nami as he proceeded to unhook Zoro's chains. Four more men came in to take hold of each newly freed appendage.

"What are you doing? Where are you taking him?"

No one answered Nami and her furry increased. The feisty but weakened redhead was about to swing another kick when she received a hard smack from the back of first guard's hand. "You'll know soon enough. If he doesn't tell us what we want to know then _you_ will; no matter what we have to do to this pretty skin." The offensive hand now held a light grasp on her chin and a powdered thumb tugged at her lip.

Zoro, who had already been lead halfway down the hallway, could be heard struggling against the chains and strong Navy men as his cloudy brain comprehended the potential danger his friend had now found herself in.

However dark Zoro's suspicions were the man suddenly released her and turned to leave; a violent force in each echoing step. He paused just long enough at the door to slam the metal cage doors shut tauntingly, leaving a worried and helpless Nami behind.


	2. Captured: Nami is taken

Nami had always known Zoro to be a proud sort of man who wouldn't let his pain show if he could avoid it; so it came as no surprise to her when she heard not one peep from the echoing hallway except the muffled questions of the interrogators for nearly five minutes.

But then, just when she was beginning to hope it was all a hoax a scream of agony ripped her ears and hopes and sent a shiver down her spine. Her body nearly trembled in fear.

Her thin lips trembled too, so she bit them to keep them still, trying to think of something she could do. Nami had never felt more useless. Orange hair hung over her eyes as her head sank onto her chest. Determination slowly built in the girl's face as she tried to muster the strength and bravery she wanted to send him. Finally, Nami took a deep breath and yelled out in inspiration taken from her very verbal Captain and with all her might: "Hang in there! It's gunna be alright!! Zoro!!!"

Nami's outburst was answered by a silence so complete that she could hear her own voice repeating almost six times throughout the long maze of the strange Navy building.

That awful scream did not come again, and Nami was able to catch a small dose of sleep with a now slightly peaceful mind.

:o:o:o:o:o:o:

Cruel and hard laughter from a small number of men woke her not half an hour later. Carmel eyes shot open as she felt something on her foot. Nami kicked wildly, trying to force whatever it was off. She scanned the area quickly to see her left leg chained and to find Zoro being thrown into the cell, his white shirt following suit. The Navy officers didn't bother to bind him to the floor, obviously thinking he was little or no threat to them in this broken state. From the small distance between them he appeared unconscious. Nami didn't struggle again. She knew that the sooner she helped Zoro, and the sooner the Navy dogs left, the better.

Once her other leg was chained against the wall the guards set Nami's arms free, quickly closing the door behind them as they escaped from the possible wrath of her fiery temper.

The sounds of glee continued as they kicked in a bowl of questionable water and a plate of bread and cheese. "Take a good look, that's going to be you if the two of you can't put your heads together and tell us what we want to hear." With these words the ruthless "humans" left the two alone. It was part of their orders to give the captives space to privately barter on the issue.

"Zoro…" Nami's kind brown eyes trailed down his muscular and heavily beaten back. 'They whipped him, those bastards.' She thought angrily, taking her still wild running emotions out on his shirt as she ripped it into strips for bandages. There were a few burn marks as well, and she was almost afraid to look at his front.

"Zoro." She repeated, this time trying to wake him up. A growl was all she got. Nami sighed quietly and tried to lift his head. She wanted him to drink some of the water before she used it to clean his injuries. Having already tried a sip and deemed it safe she was anxious for him to take some. "Please." The novice doctor stressed.

Her hands were trembling, this time from fatigue and hunger, and Nami didn't want to collapse before treating him—even if bandaging and washing his wounds was the most she could manage.

'Chopper could do better. Much better…'

Against her will tears of anger and frustration began to build up in her eyes. They leaked out and dropped onto the green haired swords man's face. This woke him up successfully and Zoro nearly tore himself away from her before realizing who had him now.

"Oh…just you." "No kidding. Drink." She pressed, holding up the bowl for him.

Zoro didn't protest but willingly took a short, cool draught of the questionable liquid. He didn't even have the energy to protest when she set his head down gingerly in her lap for better access to his back, though it surprised him.

For a while the baffled swordsman's pain was dulled as his mind was taken off it and wandered in the land of "figuring out women." After a while he concluded that it was for his own good and that he should just…enjoy it.

"How's your front?" Nami asked solemnly as she cleaned sensitive skin with a wad of uselessly short scraps from his shirt.

"It's—Arg—fine….They-SHIT!—didn't do, for the love of--Nami!!" He glared at her. "Not so damn HARD." Zoro winced at the mere effort of yelling at her and dug his forehead into her thigh, fists clenched against the pain.

'Damn it, woman…' He thought to himself, now feeling a strange sensation of guilt for yelling at her. All the unwanted toxins in their bodies must be doing weird things to their hormones, he concluded, because she was crying almost continually and he was being…emotional. Zoro felt anxious when he wasn't with her, pride in her when she called out to him, embarrassed by her closeness and now this guilt. Anger at the little things was natural for him so he didn't count that.

'But damn it! _I'm_ the man here, I'm her crewmate so _I'm_ suppose to protect her and yet _she's _the one who's busy taking care of us…' This mental criticism kept him quiet while Nami worked to clean the salt out of a small flesh-deep stab.

From the awkward but comfortable position on her lap Zoro was at full liberty to turn his eyes slightly upward and look strait up her skirt—she was, after all, still dressed for a night at the bar and adorned only a simple black cocktail dress with more than a generous amount of cleavage. Being well aware of the fact he resolved to look elsewhere. Black eyes wandered around the haze framed room until he noticed the untouched food. "Eat something." He commanded, though it was about as forceful as it would have been if Chopper had said it.

This statement, which reminded her of her reindeer friend, made Nami smile without weariness. "Not now. Can you sit up?"

Zoro scoffed. "How weak do you think I am woman? This is no-uu-thing…" He arched his back to sit up and a raspy moan claimed half the word. It took Nami's help to keep Zoro up once he was there, giving his ego a beating to match that of his body.

"See?" Her voice sounded like she was on the verge of a good cry. Not just her voice but her smile as well was affected by her companion's expression of pain. As she watched him struggle her lips quivered slightly, just barely keeping the flood in check. With one weak arm she held him up and with the other wrapped the scraps of Zoro's shirt around his abused flesh.

Every so often her hand would brush against his side and Zoro would breath a quick inhale of shivering pleasure. He convinced himself it was only his body being thankful for the kind touch instead of a beating but despite this a resolution a blush settled under his eyes and he turned his head away.

A minute later the rough swordsman steadied himself on the wall while Nami used two hands to tie down the end of the shabby bandage. Her slender hands paused to hover above his weathered chest for longer than he liked "What's the matter?" 'Are you alright?' Was what Zoro knew he really should have asked.

Nami didn't respond right away and didn't let her hands drop until she'd risen to her knees and planted a whisper of a kiss on his bruising eyebrow. Zoro's shock showed clearly in his expression alongside the dimming pain.

"I'm sorry. If I hadn't wanted you to come with me back at that _damn_--" She drew a sobbing breath and closed her eyes, covering them with her shaking arm. "--damn island…Damn tears." She mumbled quickly after the failed apology speech.

"…" Zoro blinked. Acting fast he pushed off the wall and reached for the pitiful food. With some unwanted difficulty he tore off a piece of bread and held it up to her lips.

"Eat." He commanded again, though this time around the difference in his voice was enough to make her look up and into his eyes, her arm drifting down to her side. Such cool, black eyes…such a strange look in them too.

Lips chewed a blushing red opened slowly and he put the bread in, neither looking away during the action or after she'd swallowed it.

"…It sucks…" was Nami's delayed evaluation of the hard and stale mouthful.

Somehow the hung over, drugged, starved, dehydrated and weary pirates found this humorous and slowly a laugh crept over them until neither could hold it in. Just one laugh, no more than half a minute, but it was enough to lift their spirits a little.

Given the circumstance, to any outsider it must have seemed an eerie sound and was certainly enough to attract the attention of the watchman. "Giggling over your decision to tell us the location of the treasure are we?" He asked over the echoes of the swordsman and the navigators' laughter and his own footsteps. "How fortunate."

Out of instinct Zoro made a quick but weak attempt to shield Nami with the only weapon he had left—his body.

The sharp sound of the key clicking in the lock confirmed the opening of the door and the entering of danger.

"Tsh." He tried to nock Zoro away with the side of the spear once but Zoro wouldn't budge except to try and grab the attacking object and use it. When Zoro's grip slipped on the waxed and rounded metal the guard drew it up above his head and out of reach.

Without hesitation he stuck the fine tipped spearhead into Zoro's side and flung him away with ease to land in a pile of limbs and green hair in the corner.

"Zoro!" Nami lashed out at the man attacking but found his hand around her throat faster than she could have dodged and it was all she could do just to breath. He unlocked her swiftly with the same key while both pirates were out of commission.

By the time Zoro had gathered himself enough to throw his bleeding body at the worthless guard he was met by the slam of the door. "SHIT!" Determined eyes fumed as he watched Nami as she was dragged off down the hall, struggling like a fish. The blood trickling from his side increased and pulsated when, in a desperate and reckless attempt to save his friend, he began to pull at the bars with the weak sum of strength he had left. It was his blind goal to open the door: pry it, bend it, anything! He had to be free, he had to save Nami before they took her to the room they'd just released him from.

"Aaaaaaaaah!"

The fierce but nearly powerless battle cry sounded down the stone walls and frightened all the officers who heard it.

"You idiot, you're killing yourself!" Nami yelled back at him, watching the blood pool at his feel. "Stop! Stop it right now! Zoro! Zoro…"

"Eh? Ha ha ha." The guard turned and laughed at the pitiful struggle of his captive. "Go ahead, bleed yourself to death then. Worthless piece of--" The back of Nami's head smacked hard against his nose, nearly making the cartilage cave in and it certainly made it break. He fell unconscious and slumped to the floor like an old washcloth. Nami grabbed his keys and ran back to Zoro.

The swordsman was almost blind with rage, adrenaline, and blood loss and didn't seem to see Nami's unsteady hands unlock the cell. Once she heard it click she tried to pull the door open but Zoro was pulling on it so hard it wouldn't budge.

Another spurt of blood from the open stab wound made her desperate and Nami took his face in her hands with a hard slapping force. "ZORO!"

Ooh…cliffhanger….


	3. Escaping

Thank you to my few reviewers, hearts to you :) I haven't written Fan Fiction in a while, not since a sad attempt at Naruto FF, so I forgot how a short chapter on can look long on your word document. Thus I can assure you this is a long chapter!

I own nothing…except maybe all the nameless Navy-men.

:o:o:o:o:o:o:

"ZORO!"

Nami grasped the sides of his face, the cold slap from her hands made him blink and then relax as his senses returned. Zoro's shoulders dropped visibly and the whites of his knuckles began to return to their normal tan pigment.

The sudden awakening slap was followed by a gentle downward caress from silken thumbs, just once as her hands trailed away from his pained face.

Zoro said nothing as he gathered the situation but released the strained bars and let his hands relax. Nami hurried to open the door as the man's knees buckled and she found herself supporting him again. Blood loss had him hanging on her shoulders, his head in the crook of her neck.

"Stupid…" She whispered as she put a hand on his back to steady him. "Hurry, stand up."

Zoro's breath was hard and labored as the adrenaline drained from his body, but he was well aware of the danger in staying and waiting to be found.

There were no other cells around the tiny prison Nami and Zoro had lay captive in. A long windowless corridor and a long stone hallway were the only things to be seen and the only way out. Nami guessed that they lead off into a larger, horizontal hallway that in turn lead out. Whether that out was outside or out into a more dangerous or open area she had no idea. Since both pirates were unconscious when they'd been brought in neither could recall anything about the layout. Zoro's fine hearing was lacking but he'd convinced himself it was getting better.

Two exhausted sea-faring treasure seekers sat with their backs pressed against the door from the inside of what appeared to be an overly stuffed closet. They'd found this refuge just a few yards away from their cell and it seemed like a good place to stop and get their bearings. They sat though there was barely enough room to stand and together caught their breath.

Once Nami was safe inside the cramped refuge and her mind had time to work again she discovered a few things. First, that she too must have been running on adrenaline because almost the moment after she sat down her legs began to scream with cramps and weakness. Second, how truly terrifying Roronoa Zoro could be when he was forced into a corner. Looking into those animal eyes was certainly no comfort, and Nami knew then that she'd never seen him driven to such a state before. Through tough battles he'd always kept his cool. Thirdly and finally was the arrival of a new headache that presented itself as a result of escaping by means of her thick skull. 'Ow…'

If she had any energy to spare the young navigator would have clutched at the back of her head to try and ease some of the pain.

Nami jumped suddenly when she felt a hot liquid creep over to her hand. Realizing that Zoro was still bleeding and that something had to be done about it Nami stretched as far as her arm would go to search the cluttered closet for another bandage source. Ruining her dress was an absolute last resort after all. 'Sure he needs help but this thing cost me 500 beli!'

Zoro seemed to be resting so he paid no attention to her movements in the cramped space.

'What was I thinking?' He asked himself. The swordsman felt ashamed to have resorted to such an animal instinct. Sure, the surge of adrenaline had produced quite the jumpstart to his system but there were more productive things he could have done with it. Like _kick_ the _lock_. Though kicking was more Sanji's thing.

With the back of his head against the wall Zoro could hear at least one floor above and below but surprisingly no one sounded as though they were headed this way in any great hurry. '…It's weird…and suspicious. They're either stupid, or planning an ambush.'

The unfortunate swordsman's eyes opened lazily when he felt small hands working away at his side. Looking down he saw that Nami had somehow pried his fingers from the wound and was tending to it. 'Nami…'

In the dark of the closet her orange hair was the only bright thing he could see, and as much as he didn't want to admit it her presence was the only bright hope he had in this dismal situation. He'd always heard that the best in people emerged during times of true danger, and never one to believe it, he found himself agreeing now. Nami had been such a ferocious pain when he first met her and her existence only annoyed him. However, as time wore on he'd warmed up to her and found himself enjoying her as much as the rest of the crew did. She was their princess, in sorts; they were just a bunch of rowdy men out at sea with one beautiful woman to keep them in check. Of course, she could still be that same royal pain she was all that time ago, especially when temper or riches got the better of her. But temper or no temper she was still gentle and kind at heart, though it usually only showed for Chopper or when one of them was doing poorly after a fight. Tonight reminded him of that, and Zoro was sure he'd never forget it.

Even with their ever-growing friendship Zoro never expected to appreciate the touch of her hand as much as he'd come to appreciate it throughout this current ordeal. She was a comfort to his wounded body, like a feather blanket, though still a burden. He'd convinced himself, for manhood's sake, that if he hadn't had to worry about her wellbeing he might have done more to get away already.

He smirked at his thoughts. 'Lame excuse there…She's the one carrying us. I'm just getting fucked up.' With Nami on his mind his eyes traveled down to her. That bright orange hair caught him again and he found himself with the strong desire to reach for it. Knowing it would be better not to he made his eyes travel. A sweat dotted forehead, eyebrows drawn up in concentration, hard set eyes filled with worry and pain, and lips…

Zoro gulped.

Thin red lips, barely parted, and so close, began to taunt him. She was only inches away because of the confining space. Those lips had kissed him, he remembered, and turned a darker shade.

A kiss of concern for sure, but Zoro suddenly wondered if perhaps he shouldn't return it: to find a reason to indulge, just this once. Friends could do things like that at times such as these couldn't they? And they were, after all, close friends. They were companions on the same ship, bound by the title crewmates, and the sharers of many adventures. 'M-maybe…'

Whatever trail of thought was to follow Zoro never found out. Nami's voice in his ear shook him off its' path and brought him back to the situation at hand.

"Damn…I really wish we'd brought that bread…"

Zoro's eyebrows raised and a genuine smile came to his lips. "But you said it tasted awful."

"Yeeeah…" She whined "…but you said yourself you'd be fine with anything!"

He just shook his head. "Then there's nothing in here?" "No…" Nami's head hung dejectedly. It appeared she'd already looked. After a few seconds ticked by she asked, "What do you think we should do?"

"Personally? I wouldn't mind resting up a bit…though I'd prefer barging out in one go."

"Me too but…strength won't really do much if they hit us with that purple gas again." Her caramel eyes reached up to try and make contact with her companion's, wanting to know what he really thought of this.

The well-trained swordsman considered the words carefully. "You're right. And the more time we spend here the better prepared they can be."

"Then you think you can move around?" Nami's eyes traveled to the stab would in his side. The suggestive question was met with a snort of displeasure. "Sure. If it gets us out of this shit house."

When her expression still claimed some disbelief he glared at her.

"I-it's not that I don't trust your strength! It's…that drug worries me…" Just one little white lie wouldn't do much harm, and she really was worried about the newfound chemicals the Navy was using.

"Maybe we'll be immune to it by now." Zoro offered as a joke.

"Sure…" This didn't seem to lighten Nami's mood as it should have.

Drawing a sigh from the deeper region of his chest Zoro started to rise from his place on the floor. "We should at least get out of this room, even if we're just going to hide and rest in another one."

Nami tilted her head up at him as she balanced herself against the wall.

"Nami."

"Hm?"

His voice drew her attention to him but once he had her Zoro paused. He waited, watching her eyes move as she studied him before leaning down towards her.

Zoro had originally aimed for her temple, the same place she'd used, but in his nervousness had missed and kissed the side Nami's face next to her eye. It was not a mere whisper of a kiss but a kiss and linger as he breathed out his small thanks.

Leaving her without explanation or time to react Zoro stood erect again and reached for the door, peeking his head out just enough to scan the perimeter before running cautiously forward.

Nami blinked 'He…' then slowly turned her head 'Did he?' and winced at the bright light coming from the corridor. It was all she could do to make her feet move to follow him.

Watching the back of his head the spunky navigator couldn't help but smile deviously. No matter how good Zoro's intention had been Nami could only process what he'd done as a challenge, the start of one of their many competitive games. If he wanted to play then so be it. This was exactly the kind of game she hardly ever lost.

:o:o:o:o:o:o:

"Here." Zoro hit a hard right, leaving the door open just enough for her to run in before closing it in a hurry behind her.

"Well…" Nami commented as she searched the larger room with her eyes. "…It's an improvement anyway." She walked to a door on the right and opening it. Nothing useful could be found.

This time they'd chosen a mediocre sized storage room to rest in. Boxes were piled against the walls, scrolls of long paper stuck out from random places, the floor and walls were dirty and a few barrels stood up on their bottoms, tops open, and held other goods.

"No food…" Nami whined as she slumped onto the floor in defeat.

"No. Better."

"Hm?" Looking over her shoulder Nami saw Zoro holding up his three swords. "Lucky!!" She smiled and was about to comment on how there should be more "confiscated" items but was interrupted as a gun was tossed to her.

"Can you fire it?"

Nami took a moment to study the mechanism over but soon nodded in confirmation. "Sure." Her pink tongue stuck out the side just slightly as she continued to study it in further detail. "Sure, I can do it."

She checked the barrel then looked at Zoro again. "Ammo?"

"Uh…" The swordsman blinked and whipped quickly around to search the barrel of items again.

Nami smiled. "Here." She came up behind him and dove a hand into the random assortment to shuffle around in search of a bullet case.

From the corner of his eyes Zoro gazed down at Nami and couldn't help thinking that she was teasing him. '…'

His hand flinched as hers brushed over the top of it. Searching her face again through the blurry vision of his peripherals he saw a smile, a mischievous smile, and knew she'd done it on purpose. Deciding that he would rather see her frustrated than embarrassed Zoro withdrew his hand—making sure to draw a fingertip across Nami's palm as he did so—and walked to another pile.

Nami glared at the back of his head as she watched Zoro shift through the far away items. 'It's like he doesn't even _want _to play…' Her smile returned quickly again when she found a box of bullets and loaded the "borrowed" gun.

When a moment of silence had passed Nami spoke up; "If this is a store room, and we've already passed five doors then we must be near the end of the hall."

Zoro grunted to acknowledge her but only turned around when he could report that there really was no food. "Forget trying to figure out how this place works. We just gotta keep running in the opposite way from where we came." A cocky smirk took over his face. "Besides, now I've that got _these_ we can go the whole stretch."

Nami looked at him skeptically. "Just because you have your swords again doesn't mean your wound's gone. With all the running it could easily bleed out, it's still fresh after all."

"Sure--" The rough swordsman said as he pushed the door open again "—but if I have these I know I can keep fighting no matter what my condition."

'…Zoro…'

:o:o:o:o:o:o:

The sound of their feet pounding on the hard stone was the only sound to be heard in the seemingly endless corridor. Nami was behind Zoro, occasionally ordering him to turn left or right. Both pirates' suspicions were high. They'd conquered two flights of stairs but run into no one. However, despite her constant feelings of conspiracy Nami couldn't help letting herself become slightly hypnotized by the rhythmic movements of Zoro's muscles. What was free of bandages stood out in the open just waiting for her to enjoy. Surprisingly she didn't find many scars from previous battles on his back though she knew his chest was strewn with them. A sad essence crept into her brown eyes. 'There will be, after this. Scars on his back.'

Nami's sad mood came at just the wrong moment, for Zoro came to an abrupt stop and she nearly ran strait into him. Somehow they'd been surrounded.

Having made it up to the second floor there were now windows breaking the long and repetitive hall. Outside the night's dark storm continued to rage on. Cornered against one of these refreshing windows, Nami and Zoro found themselves facing trembling navy men from every angle. Gun, spears, and knives were pointed towards them. Most of the men shook with fear but all where silent.

Zoro's eyebrows traveled down with ferocious result—he was obviously the cause of the soldiers' anxiety; he couldn't see anything besides heads and faces lining and blocking the hallway, no escape from the front, maybe for him but not for Nami.

'So this is where they've all been…clever bunch. Trapping us like this.'

More still came running in, trying to push their way closer to the action even though they were late or too cowardly to show up in the first place.

A rumble of thunder reminded Zoro of his environment. All three swords were unsheathed, all pointed at enemies, but he snuck a look over his shoulder. The windows were made of glass and wood. He smiled.

"D-d-d-drop your weapon! We'll shoot!" Several guns cocked.

Slowly, Zoro sheathed two of his three battle extensions, leaving one in his right hand.

Nami's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched him comply. "Zo--" "Grab on to me." He whispered with a husk voice into her ear as he drew her up to his shoulder with his sword wielding arm. Now at least his weapon stood between her and the bullets.

A navy officer with the rank of Lieutenant studied the situation from his front row position. Pale blue eyes darted behind the troublesome pirates to the fragile window behind them. "Steady men." He commanded in a monotone and calmly booming voice. This order brought the grunts to a gradual quiet.

In his battle ready mind Zoro was planning how to best execute his plan. They were two stories up, a window behind them, an ocean below. But how deep was the ocean? He had no idea. If he jumped and didn't break the window they were dead. If he jumped through the window but the ocean was too shallow they were possibly dead.

He couldn't help the grin; this was the kind of situation his warrior blood boiled for. With one last look around at the wall of heavily armed opponents Zoro used the rest of his strength to kick off from the ground.

The pitiful window broke easily against his back and the seamen were so dumbfounded they barely reacted to their officer's orders of "Fire!"

The calm lieutenant's bushy mustache twitched in anger at his worthless men. "Fire damn it! Shoot them out of the sky!" In a frenzy they all came crashing around the window, pushing and shoving and getting cut on the broken glass and missing each fired shot in the chaos.

Zoro and Nami plunged into the dark grey ocean.

:o:o:o:o

Hm? Are they aright? Got shot at all? I wonder…be continued!...and I guess I'm warming up to one piece a little better. started watching some of the "take princess Vivi home" ark I'm not sure if I want her in here or not…and I'm also not sure having her in here would fit with what I've named the boat. She's with them when they still have the Going Merry right? ah…see _this_ is why you're suppose to watch the series _then_ write the story lol

Ps. Look forward to smexy Zoro in next chap


	4. Initiative

Attention, dear readers! I'm almost out of suggested Nami/Zoro arcs to watch ((currently on Skypeia)) so if there are any of you who have watched further along in this 300 series a recommended episode/ac would be greatly appreciated! As a reward I might do what you say ((plot wise or scenario wise)) the might is only in there because I'm not sure how far I want this fic to go. It's quite depressing for someone whose last story made hits into the high 10k hits, but such is life. I knew that anime well and could write on the environment well so I guess it's true what they say "Write what you know."

Ps. Incase people haven't noticed I've been refraining from using the word "nakama" and saying companion instead. It's such a watered down meaning but I don't really like to use random Japanese in my stories. If had a hiragana/katakana option though I probably would 3

pss. I've edited the ship's name back to the Going Merry because that's how it was in Japanese. And poor robin. Because I wanted Nami to have her Clima Tact this sets the story after Alabasta arc…but where is robin?? The answer?...I wasn't sure if I could write her character well enough.

:o:o:o:o:o:o

When the two pirates plunged into the ragging waters the navy personnel ceased fire. The bushy bearded Lieutenant barked orders in every direction and slowly brought order out of the chaotic herd of soldiers. He'd assembled a proper firing squad at the window and stood watching and waiting for the escaped query to re-surface.

Down below the waters Nami and Zoro fought against the violent tumbling of the currents while trying to reach the top. Zoro kept his sword out to slash at the seaweed that jostled around them, hoping to grab and hold them down as they struggled upward. A bullet came searing through the water not an inch from his ear and the swordsman knew they could not come up for air just yet.

During the fall Zoro had seen a pier on the right and a black murk in the distance confirmed its location now that they were in the water. He let go of Nami so she could swim on her own, then forged ahead to cut the obstacles out of their path.

The navigator tried her best to follow at Zoro's speed but was falling behind. Nami's skills at swimming and holding her breath were excellent but when Zoro was concerned about his waterlogged swords no one could keep up with him. Adding to the unlucky situation was the fact that in the surprise of the random and unplanned escape Nam barely remembered to take a breath before plunging into the water. 'Damn it!' Only a hand's reach from air and all the hunger, sleeplessness, and breathlessness caught up to her and she began to sink. None of her limbs responded the way she wanted them to.

"Zoro!" She wanted to call, but all that came out was bubbles. 'This was such a stupid idea…' She thought bitterly. 'So—' big strong arms were suddenly around her and Nami knew she was being rescued.

Zoro broke through the water and the two pirates gasped violently for oxygen. The waves threatened to pull them down again so he swam forward to cling to a rock near the back of the pier. Both his hands went to grasp at the jagged sides of the large bolder, he had to let go but pressed Nami against the rock to keep her with him—keeping her head from going under.

"That was the most--" cough "pig headed, idiotic thing you…" Nami's angry speech was riddled with gasps and sputters but as she blinked the salt out of her eyes she saw what was in front of her and the words quietly died away. Zoro was holding them fast against a rock that stuck almost a whole person length out of the water. His hips pressed against her with the sole purpose of keeping her head above the water but it made Nami melt. A head of green hair rested sideways across her chest as he gasped for air as well.

When Nami became silent Zoro turned his eyes towards her only to find himself caught in a similar situation. Before him was the bewitching figure of the person he'd called companion, but he couldn't seem to make his brain think of her that way, not at the moment. Wet orange hair lay plastered to her head and neck, eyes tinted with pain bore strait at him, the black teasing dress—now soaked and floating up near her bellybutton—attacked her curves and displayed them, and salty droplets bespeckled a creamy shivering skin. She was…beautiful. The glow of the nighttime ocean plants surrounded her with a blue and green candlelight while the dark cover of the peer created the illusion of romance.

There was a smile on her face suddenly and he felt cold but soft fingers run though his hair to brush off a clinging piece of seaweed. Zoro's eyes closed and he exhaled silently as those fingers couldn't help but trace down his neck.

Neither felt that their actions were their own.

Nami couldn't stop herself from touching him or resist the blush that rose on her cheeks when she looked down and noticed how her dress had scrunched up. His hair was wet and fell along his face, elongated by the water, and it was all she could do not to play with it.

After removing the humorous but unwanted vegetable Nami let her hands skit down the back of his neck to his shoulders. A backwash wave came at them and knocked him closer for just a moment. She noticed the subtle blush in his cheeks when his face came near her cleavage but when he pulled his head back she brought a single hand up to touch his face like silent forgiveness. Their eyes met, and it seemed all too natural that his head would tilt into her palm.

Never, never had a woman entranced him so, never had Roronoa Zoro felt his body move without an order outside of combat. Whatever pain he might have been feeling from the salt in his many scrapes and punctures he was numb all over except in the places their bodies met.

The water was freezing and they were each other's only warmth. Hot and empty breath played on the others' skin and before the pair knew it five minutes had gone by.

Nami nearly shook with the want to bend down just a little further and make their cold lips touch. What was one kiss between friends? Between companions?

'If I'm not careful…' Zoro thought 'I just…' He gulped and tried his best not to look at Nami's lips, anything but her lips. But he found the same situation everywhere else. Her neck, her cheek, collarbone, shoulder, arm, chest…She was swimming and swarming in his mind and her scent was in his nose and Zoro thought for sure he was going mad.

A deafening clap of thunder woke then to the reality and they both looked around for the enemy. No one came so far.

But they had lost too much time and had to hurry. Regretfully, and silently, Zoro freed Nami from her captured position and she swam towards the sandy beach beneath the dock.

"…Wow…"

"What?" He tried to hide the quiver in his voice by making it deeper than normal.

She turned her head towards him. "This is the same island we were kidnapped on." Her eyes read total disbelief at their luck. Zoro just smirked and closed his in relief. "How about it? Which side are we on?"

Nami crept out a little further and took a better look. "The ship's on the other side."

The soaking pair ducked and ran though the early morning town. Nami lead the way this time, knowing that if they could reach home before the sun rose they would have a better chance of avoiding a fight with the navy.

:o:o:o:o:o:o

The four remaining crewmembers of the Going Merry sat around the empty table with long faces and sinking hopes. When the sun came up in a few minutes it would be three days sine Zoro and Nami's disappearance.

"Namiiiiiii..." Sanji whined though a cigarette that had burned out long ago. "How could you run away and elope with that---" "SANJI" Luffy, Usopp and Chopper were more than tired of the cook's theory.

While Sanji nursed the bumps on his head the others returned to their melancholy problem.

"Still nothing…" Chopper's furry face read deeply of distraught and disappointment.

"We searched the whole damn thing." A much more serious Sanji made his re-entrance as he pulled up his chair again, sitting in it backwards with the support against his stomach and one arm draped along the top. "The whole damn thing…" There was a fresh white death roll between his fingers now and he brought it up to his lips hastily.

The captain sat with a determined look on his face and in his wide eyes as he stared into the dismal light of the cabin. There was a small redness in his cheeks and his crewmates knew it was the result of his brain thinking very hard.

Usopp fidgeted, first sitting down then standing up, the next minute walking around the cabin and so on until he couldn't take it anymore and broke out in his typical monologue of: "They're lost! Lost without a trace! Farewell friends, if only you had the GREAT captain USOPP with you…we will remember you forever as the heroes yo--" "CHOPPER!"

The sweet sound of Nami's voice made the boys' heads shoot up to look towards the window.

"NAMI-SWAAAAAAN"

A stampede of footsteps and heavy boots accompanied repeated calls for the doctor and for help until the group was reunited. Sanji came and took Zoro from Nami's shoulder—the brave swordsman nearly passed out after seeing his home—only to hand him over to Usopp and hold onto her instead.

"He was stabbed on the right side." Nami told Chopper, concern was heavy in her eyes, "and we have to leave! Right now!"

"Eh? Why?" Luffy asked with a tilt of his head and a scratch of his nose.

"Just do it!" She paused and stared at her crew in mild annoyance as no one did anything—except Chopper who was carrying Zoro inside for examination. "NOW!"

The two goofballs jumped a foot then scrambled to set the Going Merry to sea.

Now that that was out of the way Nami felt she might collapse as Zoro had, and with Sanji hugging her off the ground and rubbing his head against hers like a dog she didn't worry about falling.

"I'm fine, 'legs…" She heard Zoro growl and couldn't help smiling a little. Sanji lifted her and carried the navigator onto the ship as Luffy and Usopp gave the call that they were casting off.

"He's lost a lot of blood." The little doctor said as he analyzed the swordsman's condition.

Nami's stomach growled in hunger, followed shortly by a magnified echo from Zoro's. "Forget about the scratches, just gimme some food damnit!" He roared at his crewmates who obviously didn't care whether or not he starved to death.

"Then—" Sanji lit up a fresh cigarette after setting Nami down in a chair in the galley. "Nami, please rest here while Icook you—and theshittyswordsman—a meal to quell your hunger and your pains!"

Nami just smiled as she set her head down on her folded arms. "Thank you Sanji." She closed her eyes just as the sun began to peak over the horizon, showing off its flashy face. 'It's good to be home…' The girl thought when a torturous aroma drifted into the room.

Across the room Chopper stitched and cleaned and sanitized away at Zoro's beaten body. Realizing she was much too hungry to sleep, Nami could only sit and listen to the complaints of her stomach.

Thinking of nothing in particular she turned her head towards Chopper and his patient. Zoro's teeth were clamped shut in pain as the little doctor applied medicine to the whip burns. 'Poor thing.'

The 'poor thing' in question opened one shaded eye—as though he had detected her sympathetic thoughts towards him and resented it—and saw her watching him. Neither felt particularly embarrassed by the discovery. Perhaps they were too exhausted.

A few minutes later Chopper declared that he was finished, though he made Zoro stay still and behave. Sanji had brought in appetizers by this time and a first course could be smelled coming down the hallway. The brave captain Usopp took it upon himself to prevent Luffy from wolfing down a second dinner.

Nami thought she would die, her taste buds were crying tears of joy and her stomach couldn't get enough. There was a warm room, with real furnishings, and _laughter._ Oh how being locked in a cell of eternal doom can make you crave the sound of laughter.

In the corner of the room on a fold out bed Zoro sat and ate ferociously. Occasionally pausing to answer Usopp and Choppers' inquires of his health and of his adventures. Sanji had rejoined the group as he waited for a dessert in the oven to finish baking. He sat in silence for the most part and sipped at an expensive glass of celebratory wine. There was a look in his eyes that worried Nami. 'Buuut—" She convinced herself with an indifferent smile "—eat now question later" then took a bite from a particularly delicious piece of meat. Suddenly…

"Nami?"

"Hm?" With the fork still in her mouth she turned her head towards the speaker and his seriousness surprised her. "Sanji…"

He set the wine glass down on the table with a soft click while he rose and walked towards her. The room casually fell into a silence when he leaned down and wrapped his arms tightly around her neck and shoulders, his blond head down. "Nami, you left the Clima Tact here." It was a quiet statement, nearly pitiful, and Sanji didn't seem to require any sort of acknowledgment of it.

"Don't ever do it again!!" The cook squeezed her harder and hid his head in her dress.

The young navigator was beside herself. Here was a man crumbled at her feet, and not because he was begging for his life or the return of his stolen property. Looking around at her crewmates Nami could see that Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper were feeling the same, though they could not express it as Sanji had. Nami smiled sympathetically down at Sanji, feeling she just might cry with guilt and love for her friends. "I won't. I promise I won't." A gentle hand stroked the side of his face once or twice.

A deep growl from Zoro had Sanji lift his head from the 'lovely and comfortable place' to glare at his green haired crewmate. The chef's glare soon turned into a victorious grin as he noticed the jealousy in Zoro's eyes. However, his victory wasn't to last long because Chopper came flying at Nami also, and clung to her chest where he cried his little eyes out.

"NAMIIIII We thought you guys were gone forever!"

Of course, most of his speech was too mumbled to sound like much of anything but Nami smiled and patted his head, telling him what a good boy he was.

There was a small pause, and then Luffy smiled from ear to ear and came to join in. Usopp shouted something about suffocating her but quickly gave that up and ran to the navigator as well.

Nami laughed as she held Chopper like a stuffed animal and pet his fur; Sanji pouted and yelled at the others for ruining his moment with Nami; Luffy was jumping up and down, demonstrating how much he'd missed her with his elastic arms and Usopp was telling her of his brilliant plan of rescue. Zoro looked skeptically at his friends and mumbled about how _he'd_ been gone too ya know…

"Ah? But we missed you too." Luffy seemed oblivious to the source of Zoro's annoyance: that they were all so worried about Nami knowing perfectly well that he as with her.

"WHAT? If you'd protected Nami like you were suppose to this wouldn't have happened in the first place!!" Sanji yelled—he was still clinging to Nami's waist—as he peered around Nami's chair to shoot fire and daggers at Zoro.

A ding from the kitchen made everyone silent again and Sanji pop up. "Ha! Dessert is calling. Excuse me, Nami-swan."

The girl set Chopper down on her chair as she stood up too. "Actually, I think I'll go bath and change."

"Brilliant! Any longer in that damp dress and you'll catch cold!" Came the cook's approval. Nami waved off his complements and repeated questions of "can I help?" and retreated to the bathroom.

:o:o:o:o:o:o

"Aaaaah…." The navigator sighed happily as she sank into the hot water. The lights were down to save her headache from further provocation and made for a perfectly quiet mood. As Nami sat with her head practically submerged in water and as the oils, dirt, and salt of her shared adventure washed away she thought of her friends. 'I really should do something to thank them. As much as they're a pain in my life they're my dear companions…' A small giggle from underwater came to the surface in the form of a bubble as Nami made her decision.

:o:o:o:o:o:o

"Na, so, Zoro, what kind of adventure did you have?" Luffy asked Zoro through a mouthful of cake.

"Dull." He said as he eyed his piece of cake suspiciously.

"Aaaah…details!! Common! Don't hold out!" That childish grin was back and prying at the tired swordsman.

"…Fine. In the morning then." "YAHOOOO!" Zoro winced at the volume of his captain's voice.

They'd taken him into Chopper's medical room, as the reindeer doctor didn't like the idea of him sleeping in a hammock. Now, to avoid Luffy, and Sanji's 'supposedly edible cake', he rolled over on his uninjured side and almost instantly began to snore.

"W-we should let him sleep. It's good for him to rest as much as possible." "Yeah, yeah."

The rest of the day went by like any other except that Nami and Zoro were sound asleep in their own rooms. They didn't want to wake Nami so the boys let the ship go where it wanted for a while before putting down anchor. After hearing a brief description of the Navy's treatment the pirates wanted to be as far away from that once peaceful island as possible without getting completely off track.

Nami woke with the setting sun and stretched her fully rested limbs. "What a great thing a bed is!"

She dressed and walked towards the kitchen, feeling mildly playful and very hungry again. As Nami walked in she kissed each of her companions on the cheek in order of how close to the door they were. Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and then Sanji at his stove.

"Hm? Where's Zoro?"

Each of the boys was too red to think to answer. "H-he-he hasn't woken up yet." Chopper was the first to speak, though it was mostly doctor instinct.

"Oh…" Nami's face became disturbed with worry.

"It's nothing to be very concerned about." Seeing the expression on her face Chopper forgot his embarrassment and was able to answer clearly.

"No kidding. That dumbass sleeps all day anyway. 'Natural behavior." Sanji piped in.

"Ah, plus we probably kept him up longer than we should have last night." Usopp admitted with worried eyebrows but a reassuring smile.

"Oh, Zoro's still asleep." Luffy scratched his ear as the others yelled him into a visible angle with: "TOO SLOW!!!"

The crew ended up eating without the swordsman but each minute without him made Nami more and more nervous and worried. When the meal was over and she'd enjoyed her previously unwanted cake Nami left early with the excuse of "I've got to check our position before bed." She did, in fact, go check their course but when that was finished she snuck into Chopper's medical office to visit the missing Zoro.

Nami crept as quietly as she could down the hall, though with the noise her crew was making up on deck it seemed almost pointless, turned the handle and shut the door behind her. Bare feet padded softly on the wooden floor and she walked with the gentle rock of the boat on the waves.

On a bed in the corner lay Zoro, the man she'd spend the better and worse parts of the last three days with. He had fresh bandages around his chest and he wore an opened button up shirt. The deep, warm yearning in her body called out when she saw him lying there so peaceful and strong, pleading even louder when she took in his calm sleeping face.

"Zoro?" A lack of response let her know he was asleep. With that relief in mind Nami sat down on the side of the bed, a single hand gently reaching up to touch that calm visage. Her fingers traced from his eyebrow down to his jaw line three times before a big strong hand covered them. Nami nearly jumped off the bed in surprise but composed herself at the last minute to look like she'd simply stood up. "Faker…" She grumbled in a deadly tone.

Zoro chuckled and propped himself up on his elbows. "You did it, not me." Black eyes trailed up from the hands at her hips to the pout on her lips.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"But you've been asleep all day."

"Yeah. I've been _waiting._"

Nami blinked and a slight brush rose to her cheeks. "Oh…so you…" No response came from the half naked green haired man and Nami cautiously sat down on the bed again. Neither spoke for a while. Neither was exactly sure what to do.

"A-about this morning." Nami started.

"Which part?" Zoro scoffed. "The running, the jumping, the swimming or the…" His voice trailed off as he gulped silently and stiffened. Nami had touched his hand with the side of hers. A small movement but it was enough to kill his sentence.

"The you saving my life part." She answered in a whisper, bringing her head in closer to his unconsciously. "I would have drowned, Zoro…without you."

A touch of the hand, someone's leg shifted, there was a small creak from the floor, a piece of hair fell over her eyes, the tips of their noses brushed and Zoro thought he would go insane. Everything was spinning in his mind and he couldn't think straight. He was waiting for that one word from her, just one action and then he could unleash the hunger that had been waiting patiently to be feed since its appetite had been teased that morning.

There was an awkward silence, and then in an act of dangerous bravery Zoro moved the hand that Nami touched to overpower hers. She paused, a little uncertain but laced her fingers into his and that was his signal.

Zoro's untangled hand flew to her shoulder and he nearly tackled her down onto he bed and while she was still shocked he planted a kiss between her breasts, trying to re-capture the magic of the morning. 'If we're doin' this backwards, we're doin' it all the way backwards.'

Zoro's untangled hand flew to her shoulder and he nearly tackled her down onto he bed and while she was still shocked he planted a kiss between her breasts, trying to re-capture the magic of the morning. 'If we're doin' this backwards, we're doin' it all he way backwards.'

Nami shifted impatiently as he kissed his way up to her lips in a _torturously_ slow manner. Once or twice she tried to struggle against him and force their first kiss on him but he overpowered her then returned to his previous objective. When he got to her collarbone a flush came over her cheeks and Nami inhaled so sharply Zoro thought he might have done something wrong. Her knee pressing on the inside of his leg changed his mind and his lips touched her neck, then her jaw, and finally moved to hover over her lips.

Now fully flustered and frustrated Nami couldn't understand what he was doing, every time she'd moved to kiss him he'd prevented her, now he seemed to be waiting. Almost on the verge of anger she tried a third time and with a little too much momentum forced their lips together in a way that made Zoro smirk into it.

:o:o:o:o:o:o

My god…writing about all those rowdy boys tires me out OO…..

Hehe...I didn't warn you about Sexy Sanji


	5. Indulgence

I own nothing…except maybe Chopper's medical bay. Anybody know if it really exists?

Keeping in mind that for some reason I've decided to label this fic T ((should I change the rating? You tell me, I can't decide)) and the fact that I'm not a big fan of writing lemons—watching them in my head yes, writing them no—I think it's only fair to tell you that there's no _graphic_ sex. You know what I mean…descriptions of…everything…if you want Zoro/Nami porn read Ryoku's Jiki Sweetie's "Shower's Power."

Anyway, just thought I'd come clean about my cleanliness.

:o:o:o:o:o:o

His large hands freed hers but Nami let her arms stay above her head as those hands came to run themselves down her sides.

It was a ferocious kiss with a tender ending as Nami shifted her head to peck the side of his mouth gently.

After that Zoro pulled his head back and searched her eyes, confused about what she wanted. 'That felt like goodbye…'

Nami just laughed and brought her arms up around his neck and when she bit his ear Zoro knew she'd tricked him out his 'in charge' position.

'Damn.' He thought while she played at his ear 'She did that on purpose.' He'd lost confidence and in the process some of his edge.

Never one to stay down, Zoro grabbed her and lifted her up above his head with a sharp jerk. The petite but tall woman sat on his right arm while he held her with the other, both her arms now clung tightly around him as if waiting for his next sporadic movement.

Not wasting a second the man moved in to kiss at her neck.

Nami purred with encouragement but wasn't about to let him have all the fun. While she tilted her chin up to allow him more access she was busy enjoying the feel of his arms. 'Ah,' the young woman sighed to herself. 'This is what indulgence is aaaall about…' Needless to say she was having a fine time.

When Zoro was quite sure that Nami had learned her lesson and would behave herself he gently eased her back down onto the bed, one hand mindful of her head and the other carefully sliding out from under her to hold on to her hips.

Things were heating up by the second, and instead of being satisfied cravings were needier than ever. While in the middle of a blind fight with an ungratefully difficult sleeve Nami's actions came to an abrupt halt when she heard a noise out in the hall.

"Hm? Whuzwrong?" Zoro asked through the lower lip he'd been nibbling on.

Nami nearly leapt out of the bed to dash towards the door, which she immediately locked.

The sexually frustrated swordsman propped his head up on his hand as he watched Nami in an almost angry way and tried to decipher her actions. Being particularly impatient Zoro gave up early, deciding he didn't care what was in her head, and got out of the bed too.

Nami heard the quiet 'tmp, tmp, tmp' of his bare feet as he walked up behind her and put his hands on the front of her hips, pulling her close against him again.

"You're embarrassed?"

She thought there was hurt in his voice but ignored that and tried to smile it off. "What, do you want those goofballs barging in? Don't you want privacy?"

"Sure." An anxious hand began to play up to her navel. "But the way your heart started beating, felt like you were scared."

Nami blushed, and not from the fact that his hand was slinking its way up the inside of her shirt. "I'm not scared."

Zoro hooked a thumb into a belt loop on her pants and gave it a quick tug away from her skin as a challenge.

"I'm _not_." She repeated, this time with more force.

He seemed to believe her, and his groping hands became bolder in their actions.

Without much persuasion Nami became oblivious to the sounds of merriment on deck. All she could hear was the man breathing behind her and the gentle sound of his three earrings clicking together in a way that reminded her mildly of wind chimes. She was like putty in his hands and her body rocked against him with the steady push and pull of the sea.

The calloused hands of a swordsman brushed over the skin of her stomach, exploring their way around small but necessary muscles and the healthy tease of a rib bone. Zoro's mouth was at the corner of her neck, nibbling away between it and her shoulder. His hands stayed together and were partners for a while before one decided to travel south and one north.

The southbound hand continued downward until Zoro's arm could hold Nami at the hips, pressing her against him so that when he inched back towards the bed so did she. There it remained stationary, though occasionally a thumb would rub against the skin exposed by her low pants.

His other hand went up, just barely skimming through the middle of her breasts before continuing on up to her neck. Long fingers cupped her neck loosely.

Nami flinched and became a little stiff; a hand on her neck always reminded her of Arlong and brought just a little fear to her strong navigator composure.

Zoro noticed this but didn't think much of it for a minute or so until her lack of response became almost annoying. But when his hazy mind pulled itself together long enough to put a few things together for him Zoro did make an attempt at amends by bringing his head forward to kiss her mouth gently.

When apologizing lips captured hers Nami's muscles relaxed and the small prickle of fear eked away. A gentle tugging, the pull away and come back, the want for more but the knowledge that more would ruin it: Nami couldn't get enough. What was this gentle touch? A caring kiss outlined in fire, it was something she'd never had before.

Nami turned, undoing his hands' careful planning as she pressed her body against his and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

By this time Zoro had them at the edge of the bed so he flopped down with an 'umph' of a response from Nami. She opened her eyes to glare at him just in time to see his grin before he brought his head above hers to set a quiet kiss atop of head.

When Zoro's roughness and his advances became inescapable Nami tilted her chin up at him with a quizzical and somewhat concerned expression. As she caught her breath she asked, "You're sure you're well enough?"

'He's said that already.' Nami thought, remembering the day before, as she worked to unbutton the deep blue shirt.

:o:o:o:o:o:o

The two pirates lay side by side in the small medical bed, sweaty, satisfied, and starving.

Moonlight came in through the open window along with a calm sea breeze. Each element came to the exhausted pair in its own way; the pale blue light gave just enough visibility for Zoro to admire how it highlighted her hair and shining skin, the sweet call of the ocean brought serenity, and the breeze cooled them after their excursion.

"How come we've never done that before?" Nami asked as she tried to catch her breath.

"'Never thought of it before." He answered through heavy breathing. Zoro was happy, very happy.

"Mmm…" Nami hummed out a last exhale before her breathing became regular and rhythmic as she fell into a light sleep.

Zoro watched her for a bit, continually dragging a hand up and down her arm as he watched her from behind. Her back was pressed against his and his other arm was snug under her head and the shared pillow. The moonlight on her skin did terrible things to his insides, and though she was sleeping he couldn't seem to wrap his brain around the idea of dreaming just yet.

So Zoro waited until some time later when Nami woke again and that time his inhuman stamina was satisfied enough for him to partake in a quick nap as well.

Once during one of the small snatches of sleep they allowed each other Nami woke and took that quiet time to admire her new lover's scars. She smiled proudly as she traced them because each was testimony to his exceptional power and strength.

How many times had she relied on those powerful arms? How many times had he saved her? How many lifetimes did she owe him? Her dream fuzzy brain tried to calculate it but when he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it all thought patterns were throw array and discarded as unnecessary.

The swordsman turned her hand and kissed the pink palm next, his eyes coming up to search for hers as he did so. Those shadowed eyes closed again as he began to nibble down to her wrist. When he found a particularly sensitive spot the fingers from the captured hand and the hand that held it linked.

"Zoro." She whispered his name and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Her hand came up to smooth the small green hairs down before traveling down to hold his muscled back.

With one quick move he was on top and they were no longer side-by-side. Zoro kept her hand but now his intentions had changed as he kissed down her arm. Every time she touched him she drove him a little further towards the edge. If it took all night he would kiss and claim every damn inch of her as his.

'What is this?' The swordsman asked himself as he entertained himself with her chest and she with his muscled stomach. No matter how many times they disappeared into each other all he wanted was to blend further with her. Maybe if they just kept indulging themselves they would eventually become one existence and this itching problem would be solved.

'Ten!' Zoro called out silently, as if training, as the two flopped back down onto the bed after a standing experience. No matter how out of mind he got he would never loose count, he wanted this number to brag about later if he ever found someone to discuss records with who wouldn't kill him for mentioning the name of the partner.

:o:o:o:o:o:o

When the first sounds and smells of early dawn began to creep their way into the world Nami and Zoro lay in a tangle of each other's arms and legs and both were thoroughly addicted. In their individual thoughts each had held some concern that their partner might consider this a one time only event, and so tried to make the most of the supposedly one night event.

"Mwh, gmenfu…fu" Zoro mumbled incoherently in complaint as he held fast to Nami's waist with his arms and his head hidden in her stomach when she tried to get out of bed.

"I know." Nami answered with a yawn and a smile as she stroked the tip of his reddened ear. "But there's work to do. Besides, locking the door won't do any good if Chopper finds me in here when he comes to do morning rounds. And I'm _starving._"

For a minute Zoro made no movement and Nami began to wonder if he'd gone back to sleep but a second later he lifted his head and gave one last trail of kisses from up the soft skin of her stomach and torso before freeing her of his potentially crushing but gentle grip.

Giving her lover a pat on the head for good behavior, Nami swung her legs out of bed and immediately regretted leaving the warm sheet. One at a time she forced her feet down onto the cold planks then rose, exposing her already goose-bump riddled skin to the chill of the early morning.

The search for her cloths was a tedious one, and it was great temptation to use Zoro's. A fresh pair of cloths was folded neatly and cleanly on a chair for his use when Chopper was through with him. The ones from the night before were scattered and lost with her own.

Nami pulled her shirt over her head and began to tie the strings, her back to the now lonely bed, when she heard Zoro get up and start to dress as well. She envied him the search and was about to comment on the coldness of the morning when he spoke first.

Zoro lifted the sheet from the bed. "…Throw it overboard?" He suggested, completely serious, and did so when he got an enthusiastic nod from Nami.

The girl reached up high to straiten his hair down as her shirt was pulled down to lay flat and unwrinkled.

"Going for something to eat?"

"Mm." Was his casual confirmation.

"Will you bring me some?"

"Maybe."

Nami glared at him, her lower lip out in a pout until Zoro smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Oy, oy. I'm_ kidding_."

"Good. I was about to ban you for a week."

"EH?!" His eyes went wide as though the thought caused him great pain and as if this wasn't only their first night. This was addiction.

Nami laughed quietly, trying not to make enough noise to wake everyone else as she opened the door and headed off towards the bow of the ship.

Grumble, grumble "women" grumble.

:o:o:o:

Later the pair was reunited on Nami's carefully made up bed, their backs against the wall and their legs folded pretzel style as they ate re-heated leftovers and cold juice.

Nami had showered after checking the ship's bearings—they were strait on course going due west—and her hair still produced the occasional droplet as she ate. One of those droplets came down to 'plink' against the bowl of soup and it caught Zoro's attention. His eyes trailed over her for a second before suggesting "Better wear long sleeves today."

"Hm? Why?"

With his chopsticks he pointed at the various red marks all over her skin. "Oh…Well—" Nami shoveled what was left of the rice into her mouth and then hopped off the bed. "—with any luck we'll hit a cold front."

She began to search through her closet for something to hide the results of their secret love and it was all Zoro could do not to stare.

When she found something suitable Nami began to strip right there and Zoro found himself yelling "OY!" out of habit. Before he'd always put up a bit of a fuss over her slinky cloths.

"What?" She looked over her shoulder at him at the same time as the strap of her bra slipped down her arm and Zoro gulped. "N-nothing…" His face was flushed but she didn't seem the least bit changed by her open nudity.

'Stupid.' Zoro scolded himself as he cast his eyes down to his folded legs as punishment. 'You must have seen every inch of her last night.'

When he looked back up and saw her in the clingy black turtleneck and dark jeans Zoro began to miss the skimpy things she usually adorned. "There. Better?" She asked with a smile as she took her place beside him against the wall.

"…Sort of."

Nami just laughed.

:o:o:o:

Weeee...somehow I filled up seven pages with 100 percent sexy fluff! Sorry, I really thought I'd put some action or something in this one but nopes. Nothing else is on my mind right now. This isn't the last chapter but I think I'd like to end this one for now and pick up with the plot in chp 6 I might have done more but I was determined to submit something today.


	6. Sneaky Living

I'm having so much fun editing this story, if anyone has read my other stories and would like me to go back and edit those tell me b/c this is fun!

I own nothing!

:o:o:o:o:o

"Zoro, what happened to the sheet from my office?" Chopper asked a timid but curious kind of way. A few hours had already passed and the rest of the crew was now enjoying breakfast. Well, as much as any meal could be enjoyed with their bottomless pit of a captain present.

As Nami had wished—and later predicted—the group found themselves in the midst of a winter climate.

"Eh? What sheet?" He asked nonchalantly as he carved away at the peel of an apple.

"A…what sheet…D-didn't I put a fresh one down?"

"'Don't remember one."

"AAAAH! I'm sorry, Zoro! It must have been freezing! I'll try harder next time." There was shock and tears on the young reindeer's face.

The orange headed navigator smiled into her teacup, her eyes cast down in hopes of hiding her amusement.

"Nami, would you like another pancake of looove?" Sanji asked, his eyes estranged with pulsating hearts.

"No thanks, the tea is—." As a strange look came over her face Nami became silent, then hastily jumped from her seat and ran out onto the deck.

It didn't take long for the rest of the crew to follow, all waiting for orders to execute. "Chopper! Hard starboard!" Nami finally yelled after a pause to study the surroundings. "Usopp, unfurl the back sail!"

"Right!"

Before Nami could warn everyone else to hold tight to something the Going Merry was nudged hard to the right by a sea current, sending the ship's crew flying.

Luffy wrapped himself around the mast, Zoro held fast to the upward side of the ship, Usopp clung to the sail plank and Chopper was safe inside with the rudder but Sanji and Nami were sent airborne. Sanji aimed himself at the shrouds and grabbed onto the ropes tightly before he trust his hand out for the navigator. "Nami!" "Sanji!" Their hands missed by just an inch, and it was Zoro who snapped into action.

"Luffy!"

"Na?…Ossu!" The Captain, though slow most of the time, was quick thinking in most dangerous situations and understood what Zoro wanted him to do once he saw the swordsman kick off the side of the ship.

Zoro leapt towards Nami, grabbing onto her with one hand and reached back for Luffy's with his other.

Nami took this opportunity to burry herself in Zoro's chest.

The captain's rubber arm shot forward, grabbed hold of his friends and snapped back before they had the chance to touch the chilling ocean water.

As the ocean sloshed beneath the bows the Going Merry began to straiten up again, and when Luffy's arm recoiled Nami and Zoro were sent flying into the opposite side of the ship.

"Gah." Zoro cringed slightly in pain; his still freshly injured back took most of the blow to save Nami from the brash and sudden stop.

"Zoro! Nami!" People called from every direction as the crew assembled on deck now that they had not too smoothly avoided sudden disaster.

Sanji worked to untangled his long legs from the ropes of the shrouds and once he was free came running over to Nami, offering her a hand up. "Nami, are you hurt?" His angry eyes turned on the captain and the swordsman. "Shitheads!!!! That is NO way to rescue a lady!"

"Idiot, if you had caught her in the first place this wouldn't have happened!" Zoro growled back as he tried to ward off the concerned doctor from probing at his sides.

Nami lifted her head from Zoro's chest to stare at the warring men. Deciding that allowing them to run on like this would result in more trouble she stopped them with a simple. "Oi! That's enough. I'm fine. We're all fine! So shut up and go back to breakfast."

The fierce woman stood up and brushed herself off before giving Zoro a small thank you. Anything more might have seemed suspicious.

"Chopper."

"Y-yes?"

"Check this guy's wounds please. I'll bring you two the rest of your breakfasts, since I'm done and there's nothing else to do up on deck."

In the background Sanji made a theatrical speech about how he was looking forward to after-breakfast tea with the navigator, but Chopper smiled and nodded his head.

:o:o:o:

Nami opened the wooden door with the side of her slim hip, both arms full of the abandoned breakfast plates of her two companions, and walked in on Chopper nearly wrestling Zoro into treatment. The girl decided to wait to be noticed rather than interrupt the boys' fun. Besides, it was a funny sight and Nami couldn't deny that she was enjoying herself as she viewed the fuss Zoro was putting up over the simple removal of his shirt.

'He's got marks too.' She remembered casually and with a bit of pride for last night's work.

"I said I'm fine! It's just scratches!"

"You got stabbed!" The little reindeer, in man-like form, argued back.

"Get off, damn it!"

An unruly snicker escaping from behind them alerted the doctor and patient of a third presence. Both slowly turned around, feeling embarrassed and silly, and when Nami saw their faces she couldn't help allowing herself one laugh.

"N-Nami." Chopper snapped back into his small size when he saw the woman and moved to take the plates from her arms.

"Thank you. Ah, you know, Chopper. I've been thinking—" Her eyes snuck up to meet Zoro's for a moment"—if you get hurt there's really nobody else in this crew who's very good at doctoring. Do you think you could teach me some?"

The strange reindeer turned his head so fast in her direction it didn't seem healthy. His eyes were shinning like Christmas lights. "Y-y-you want me to?"

"Sure." Nami crouched down and smiled widely at him.

Chopper's eyes just shone more extravagantly and his small tail began to wag. "Really?"

"Of course."

Zoro rolled his eyes but he allowed a small smile over the scene.

"A-all right! I'll do my best!!" The goodhearted little fellow declared as he put a small hoof on Nami's hand.

"Me too." In turn she pet his head.

"Um…then…ah! Here, put this on his back. He'll probably be good for you Nami. I've gotta get more bandages so I'll leave this to you." In Chopper's eyes there was a seriousness that Nami knew couldn't have possibly been faked, it seemed she'd made him very happy with her simple request.

With the assignment given Chopper zipped out the door, a trail of pink blush and more sparkles of happiness following him, leaving Nami and Zoro alone in the room.

Nami turned to her recent savior with her own look of happiness that faintly mimicked a plotting scheme. "Being a bad patient today?"

Zoro blushed angrily and shot a mental dagger her way. "Shut it."

"Aw…poor baby."

He growled as she came over, long delicate fingers holding the ointment by the bottom as her other hand came up to pet the top of his head.

"But you'll 'be good for me', won't you?" Nami questioned with a smirk as she quoted the innocent and unknowing Chopper's words.

"Damn woman." He couldn't refuse her. Zoro raised his arms and lifted the shirt from his back, exposing the bandages—that had miraculously stayed in place—and the various kiss-marks on his flesh. Nami unwrapped the old bandages, setting them aside to be tossed out later. Already seated on the bed of their first sin he proceeded to lie down, arms folded under his head, and allowed her to work.

Nami dipped a finger into the creamy homemade jell, gently smearing it over the whip burns. She heard a short inhale from Zoro on the first contact but after that he was quiet and 'good'.

When she thought she'd smeared enough on Nami set the container down and leaned forward to kiss Zoro's temple. "Thanks, for this morning."

"Eh? It was nothing." Zoro looked up at her as if she might as well have patted his head for drinking. Protecting her had always been part of the job but now it was essential to his mental stability.

"Hm…" Out of nowhere Nami put a finger to her cheek, as though thinking, and Zoro thought there might be another Grand Line disaster headed their way. But when she set her finger down there was a small smudge of white cream left behind and she turned to him slyly. "Never mind."

Zoro stared at her with wide eyes and Nami knew she'd succeeded, it was a hilarious sight but if she laughed now her tease would be ruined.

"Eh? Do I have something on my face?" She batted her eyelashes and Zoro had taken all he could stand. He shot forward and brushed the medicine from her cheek with the whole of his hand.

Nami smiled and tilted her head to kiss his palm. "Too easy."

Zoro's enflamed eyes quieted as he tried to keep himself from kissing the woman before him. It was lucky he had good self-control because not a second later the little doctor came in with a wide smile on his face. Chopper's eyes were closed and Nami had just enough time to jump up to a more reasonable distance before he opened them to critique her work.

"Wow Nami, this is well done." Chopper's eyes sparkled with pride as well.

"It's just smearing." The navigator answered humbly and truthfully. Maybe it was too much to push on Chopper all at once. She'd almost forgotten how hard it was for him to control his emotions.

While Chopper dictated the remaining procedures Nami listened carefully, watched intently, from her roost on the swiveling chair. Every so often her eyes would tangle with Zoro's and she wondered if he was thinking the same thoughts. They'd both been worried, though hadn't verbalized the idea, that after last night things would be irreversibly different. To both their great relief it was almost as if nothing had changed. The day had gone on like nothing else, they talked normally, ate together as usual, teased one another just as relentlessly, and not one of their crewmates was the wiser.

:o:o:o:o:o

The lovers met up again that night. Zoro had been discharged from the medical bay and was permitted to sleep in the boy's room again. The sneaking out made it a bit more difficult but later he would recall that it made the affair that much more enjoyable. Each night he left felt like a secret mission, and there was something to gaining from that. The next time he had to be stealthy Zoro would have wagered it would be piece of cake.

The following act was not nearly as rowdy as opening night but just as intoxicating.

This continued for a little more than a week before Chopper let Zoro take the bandages off and Nami got to play with the full range of Zoro's scars. She enjoyed herself particularly with the on that ran from his shoulder to his hip. When they were both finished and tired and sleepy she would lay with her head on his muscled chest and trail a finger over it, sometimes using it to rile him up beforehand.

While Nami entertained her sleepy whims the swordsman would stroke her head or run his fingers through her thin orange hair. His hands brushed down her back and arms until she smiled up at him and planted one last goodnight kiss somewhere on him.

After an innumerable count of nights it had gotten so that they'd begun to forget how to sleep without their partner, and even if they were both too tired out from the day's activates to engage in anything physical Zoro would sneak into her room if only to fall asleep beside her.

It was one of those night when it was all he could manage to bring his training wearied body to the side of her bed and climb in to snuggle his nose into the back of her neck. Sleep without her scent around him was hard to fathom at this point.

Nami wanted Zoro too, and though the day had been more pressing than usual she forced herself to stay awake until he could slip away and come join her. Now that he was there she brought her hands to cover his as they wrapped around her, taking one rough hand close to her lips to kiss just before falling into a duty-less sleep.

What the exhausted lovers hadn't realized was that Sanji was awake that night and noticed Zoro slipping off.

'Eh? More training…' It seemed a bit suspicious but the cook wouldn't put anything past Zoro. 'Man's damn insane.' He thought as he rolled over in his hammock, not wanted to raise a big issue that night.

The next morning at breakfast, however, as he leaned in to set some sticky dish on the table Sanji said to Zoro "I thought it was unusual how much you've been eating lately. Even shitty swordsmen gotta take a break from training at night. Soon feeding you will cost as much as it does him." The cook jabbed a thumb back towards the illustrious Captain who was busy shoveling fruit into his rubber cheeks.

Nami gulped and reconsidered her recent routine of accepting second and third helpings at breakfast. Thankfully Sanji hadn't thought her hungry habits were anything too suspicious.

With suspicion rising she tried to catch the chef's eyes, wondering if she could see whether or not he knew anything more than he was letting on, but when Sanji turned to her with an obsessively loving smile and sparkle in his eyes she sighed inwardly and knew they were safe.

"Ah, Nami! How much longer?" Luffy piped up from the other end of the table.

"Until what?"

"We get our next adventure!!"

"Actually, we should be seeing the next island in a few hours." She said with a thoughtful tip of her cup towards her chin and a glance at the ceiling.

"Yahoooo!"

"Eh…it's too early for that, Luffy!" Usopp grumbled at the captain.

"Who says there's going to be an adventure anyway? Moron…" Sanji grumbled. They'd all gotten a solid night's sleep but were still a little wearied from the harsh activities of the previous day.

"I said so!! I said it so there is one!"

"We are running low on money." Nami interjected. "When we dock everyone should look around for an opportunity to make some cash." At the very word her eyes began to gleam greedily.

"Alright." Zoro said with a small huff as he rose from his seat, the plate in front of him thoroughly cleaned.

Nami's eyes turned to him questionably and she was meet by a surprisingly heated gaze. "Every town's got bounty in it. Leave it to me."

"…Didn't you give up pirate hunting?" "Did I say pirate?" His hand nearly itched on his sword. "I don't care who, I just feel like takin' some shithead out."

Chopper's eyes began to shine and he, Luffy, and Usopp said in unison: "Coooool!"

Luffy laughed merrily. "Now _that's_ a swordsman for ya!"

Nami seemed a bit disturbed by this, however, and when she found time to she cornered Zoro in the hall. "What's going on?" Was the immediate question.

"What?" He asked through raised eyebrows and a mildly annoyed expression.

"You're a wanted man, you can't just waltzed in and take up any hit and kill job you feel like."

"Well maybe they don't know I'm a wanted man. Besides, all I gotta do is ask around and take out a few jackasses who are making trouble."

In truth, for the past week and a half Zoro felt that he had conquered the world of sex, and now his instincts were itching to conquer the world of battle once more. Not thinking that Nami would be able to understand such a primal feeling he didn't attempt to explain it.

"But—" "Just shut it, will ya?" He drew his face in closer to hers, eyeing her with a sneaky look. "If I take out some bighead bully everybody'll love us, and while the others are busy enjoying themselves we'll have the ship."

As she comprehended his intentions Nami's frown grew into a smile. "I like the sound of that."

So it was decided. They would dock at port around one o'clock and Zoro would set out in search of a target while the rest remained on deck. Chopper had insisted on going out as well, no doubt in search of another sheet and other such supplies, and had followed Zoro into town before the friends split up to see to their individual tasks.

Hours later Zoro came back looking ready to strangle someone. His craving for a battle had not been satisfied. As it turned out he would have to wait a day for the targeted thug to return.

"So, how much bounty?" Nami asked casually after he'd finished explaining the situation to the gathered crew, her feet purposefully posed on the table so that her short skirt just barley covered everything that needed concealing.

"Five thousand beli." He answered through a sip of coffee he nearly mad the mistake of spiting out at the unsuspected sight of her indecency.

"Eh…that's not bad for a small town small fry." Usopp piped in though he didn't look up from the invention he'd been tinkering with.

"Yeah, but it's not that much either. Oi, shitty swordsman. You're sure there wasn't someone worth more?" Sanji suggested nonchalantly as he gathered the empty beverage cups.

"I could always turn _you_ in alive then leave you to bust out on your own." Zoro growled, the veins in his forehead popping out.

"While you're at it why not turn your own ass in?" The cook shot back.

"Ooooh, turn _me_ in! Breaking out of prison sounds like fun!" "STAY OUT OF THIS!" Their angry voices overlapped the last part of Luffy's enthusiastic declaration.

"…" Nami sweat dropped and patted a frightened Chopper on the shoulder.

The argument carried on into the night. The crew's energy was accompanied by heavy drinking as well as loud and frequent outbursts from Sanji and Zoro. They'd been at each other's throats most of the week since Sanji's ever-flirtatious act was getting on Zoro's surprisingly jealous nerves. Now the two were decking it out in a not all too playful way.

"Hahaha, yay Sanji!" "Yo, yo, Zoro!" "That's _go_, _go_, Luffy." "YO YO!!"

Nami sighed at the behavior of her crewmates. She was surprised that the harbormaster hadn't come and complained to them yet. But then again, they were flying a pirate flag, and it took more than the guts of your average harbormaster to approach a pirate party in full swing.

When she couldn't take anymore of the fruitless fighting the sneaky woman rose from her seat, the straps of her dress falling low on her shoulders and the tops of her bra-enhanced cleavage showing openly.

"Don't you boys ever get tired of fighting?"

Both heads turned towards her to give an answer of "no" but instead they were two dumbfounded. Needless to say she had quieted them with just the sway of her hips and a playful shrug of her shoulders as she turned to retrieve another tankard of rum.

'Eh?' Out of the corner of his eyes Sanji noticed the uncommon look of embarrassment and daze on Zoro's features as he stared in the same direction as the cook. '…'

Nami's quiet outburst had certainly drenched some icy water on the fight but the peace of her ship was not to last.

"Well, well." An intruding and unfamiliarly gruff voice said and all eyes turned to the bow of the ship.

"I came to find the thickhead who wants to take me on…and I find a Babe Show." A cocky smirk appeared, followed shortly after by a tall and well-dressed body. "Convenient."

Zoro's pleasured expression turned into a scowl as his hands moved to his swords and he took a stance. "You're the gangster-punk of a kid?"

"You're the scary faced bounty-hunter?"

As Zoro's swords gave the click of being freed of their casings there was an echoing response from the teenager's un-holstered guns. There was a smirk on Zoro's face and his body tingled with the prospect of a battle. "Oi, half-rate cook."

"Eh?"

"If I chop your head off while you're up here, don't blame me."

Sanji stared at him a moment then grinned and gave a wave of his hand to motion to the rest of the crew to move out of the way. "Well, everyone, looks like shitty-swordsman wants to go all out. Better get inside."

The kid didn't even wait for Zoro to draw his swords but fired the gun as soon as the bystanders—through various protests—were shuffled out of the way.

The expert rounin dodged out of the way by rolling to the right and coming up from behind the punk to attack with an upward slice.

The kid blocked it with his other gun; he had two in his hands and two more as backup that lay hooked to his leather pants. There was a grin on his face that showed how much he was enjoying himself. "That babe, she yours?" He asked before letting an easily avoided volley loose on his opponent.

"Maybe." Was Zoro's answer as he attacked in an X shaped pattern with Wadō Ichimonj and Sandai Kitetsu.

"Then—" Mutsuri stamped downward, grazing Zoro's already loose pant leg to pin it down and hold the larger man in place as he aimed the gun directly at Zoro's head. "—rest easy, knowing I'll be treating her to a—"

The boy never finished his sentence. Red blood gushed from his neatly severed veins and the youth fell unconscious against the wooden deck of the Going Merry not a moment later.

"Damn bastard…that was gunna be a good fight too." Zoro muttered scornfully as he wiped the sides of his swords clean and put them away. His companions came flooding out onto the deck and were all questions and praises.

"Ah, I thought you were gunna play with him a little more." Luffy complained, obviously excited by the show, and it was a relief to Zoro because he knew that none of them had heard the exchange of words between cat and mouse.

"Naw. Kid was pissing me off." Zoro's face was speckled with blood and his chest was covered in it. From the corner of his eyes he caught a concerned glance from Nami and he pointed at his quarry as if to explain that it was all his blood.

"Well, time to collect." He said with a small grunt as he lifted the body onto his shoulders and climbed down the rope ladder off into town.

"Nami-swan, are you hurt?" Sanji had now turned his attentions to her, but Nami was deaf to it all. She stared in Zoro's direction long after he'd left sight, her brain formulating their next meeting.

When Zoro returned only the boys were left on deck, Nami said she wanted to turn in early after assisting in cleaning up the blood stained wood. "Eh…well I gotta clean up. Carry on without me." The swordsman said nonchalantly as he placed the bag of beli down on a temporary table, itching at the blood that had dried in his hair and was pulling irritably.

Just as Nami predicted his first action was to head for the small but useful bathroom to try and wash the blood from his body. In the small stone area she lay in wait and in ambush for him to come.

When she heard the door open and then click shut Nami continued to wait silently in the shadows. She heard the gush of water from the faucet and the small burble and trickle as the plugged bathtub began to fill up. When Zoro sank into the water and began to scrub viciously at his skin and hair she made her quiet debut. Now wearing nothing she stepped up from behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

There was no jump of surprise, heavy blush, or even the slightest jerk of his muscles.

Nami pouted a little, she was expecting a better reaction than his chuckle, thinking that she had succeeded very well in her sneakiness. Even so, she recovered quickly when he twisted at the waist, grabbed her, and sat her down on the bath's edge.

With her eyes fixed on her swordsman Nami groped around in the hot water for the washrag Zoro would have used. The single hand that gripped it squeezed and the excess water ran out. Gently she brought it up to his skin, gently she dabbed away the foreign blood—as though it were some intruder into their private lives and must be snuffed out—gently his thumbs rubbed at her sides, and gently he set his head down in her naked lap.

But the gentle time was not to last. When the blood was gone and the water stained red with it Zoro lifted Nami from the tub, stepping out from the dirty waters, and brought her against the wall. The words of the youth were still fresh in his mind and Zoro felt that he had territory to re-claim.

Nami made no objections to his fierceness but went along with it at a matching pace as if she in turn was re-claiming him from the threat of death.

Both would remember the night as the inauguration of the small and shabby bathing room as one of their new meeting places.

As the events of the night and next morning unfolded it became obvious that Zoro's plan of a hero's welcome hadn't played out very well, and so the two never got their night alone on the Going Merry. However, Nami had her own plan for achieving the desired goal.


	7. Many discoveries

No longer just a pile of fluff, the plot returns!!

I own nothing

Things went smoothly for the rough and ready pirate crew in the next few days following the bounty hunt on what they'd dubbed 'Bloodspurt Island' at Luffy's suggestion. The Grand Line seemed relatively quiet with the small exception of a handful of dramatic climate changes.

All the while the secret lovers were having a fine time keeping their personal happiness between themselves. Nami's much-looked-forward-to plan included the next island, her own money, and a well though up excuse. It was a large sacrifice, paying for the boys to be put up in a hotel, but when the woman got a craving the only thing to do was satisfy the driving want.

At the moment Nami stood on the deck on the Going Merry, her log pose in hand and the wind in her hair. There was also a smile on her face, signaling to the rest of the crew they were mere hours away. If she only knew what kind of trouble lay ahead in that strange island perhaps she wouldn't have smiled quite so much.

"You look happy, Nami." Sanji commented as he offered her a large tray of experimental pastries.

"Yup." She answered merrily as she selected one of the golden-crisp delicacies. "We should be docking in a few hours."

"Oooh that's wonderful! Nami really is so wonderful, superior! A true navigator of the grand line! A beau—" "Sanji."

She stopped his ramble of compliments by setting a finger to hover near his lips.

"Yes?" He answered back, eyes now transformed into hearts.

"These are delicious. Why not lure everyone into the galley with them? I've got some even _better_ news."

"Anything for the brilliant Nami-swaaan!" The silly cook twirled off, not loosing a single pastry, then called out into the cabins. "OI! Snack time!"

There was a small silence before a loud "YUMMMMMMMY!" emerged from the lazy chambers and the absent crew came tumbling up the stairs.

:o:o:

"Hem, herm." Nami cleared her throat subtly to try and get her boys to quiet down. Only Chopper turned his head towards her. The others were either fighting over food or yelling for order. Even Zoro ignored her as he tried to keep Luffy off his croissant.

"HEY!!!" She yelled in rage, bringing all activities to a halt. "Now then…" Though her dangerous fists still trembled slightly with the desire to abuse something Nami continued with her original speech. "Last time we were at an island we didn't get to spend much time enjoying ourselves. So…we're staying at hotel, and it's on me." It was a bit hard for Nami not to sound agonized but she made it through with a smile and any awkwardness in her composure was masked by the loud cheers from the rest of the crew.

"Alright!" Usopp cheered, forgetting the treats for a moment—a moment that gave Luffy enough time to suck them all into his rubber cheeks.

"Wrf gunna shtaatta fanzhy plaff!" The boy cheered through a full mouth.

"WOW! Nami's so cool! Ah…but…are you sure you want to pay it?" Chopper asked, a bit concerned for his friend's mental state.

Nami waved her hand up and down at him. "Why not?"

"Chopper has a point, weren't we low on money before?" Sanji offered as he lit a fresh cigarette.

"_We _are, but I'm not." Was her icy cool smile of an answer.

"In other words." Zoro piped up. "Our money is her money, but our money troubles aren't."

"Exactly!" Nami chuckled to herself; he'd always been able to hit her tact way of thinking spot on.

:o:o:o:o:

When Nami said she would pay for the six members of the Straw Hat crew non expected that she would actually buy them someplace decent. However, the mildly lush hotel rooms were admired for a good few minutes before Nami called out "Oi, oi, stop looking and go in already!"

"It's a nice place." Sanji commented as he inspected the upholstery.

Nami laughed with a taste of victory on her breath. "I got a good deal too."

Zoro gazed over at her skeptically. "How much did you cheat them out?"

"Oh, not that much." She pretended to gaze at her nails and search for miniscule imperfections.

"…How much?"

"10,000." The thief whispered out the side of her hand.

"10,000?!"

"Quit complaining!" She protested calmly. "And just…" As she past Nami let one of her hands brush against his thigh. "...enjoy it."

Zoro twitched almost visibly and slunk into a silence after that, not wanting to give anything away to his crewmates.

The hours went by fast as the friends embarked into the decent sized industrial town. Sometimes they were together as a group of six, sometimes broken into twos or threes or wandering on their own, and before anyone knew what had happened it was time to rendezvous back in their rooms. Each pirate had their own room, small, but still their own.

"_We need some privacy once and a while!"_ Was Nami's reasoning whenever question about it, sometimes coupled with _"Besides, it's the same price either way."_

"Whooo! What a day!" Luffy could be heard through everyone's walls as he flopped down onto the crimson bedding.

A moment or two later Chopper called out "G'night, eviybody!!" Obviously in too much bliss to manage a proper nighttime greeting.

Nami listed to the sounds of her companions for an hour or two as she changed from her day cloths into apparel better suited for the nighttime. How she got stuck with such a crew…but they _were_ all good, deep down. Though a second woman onboard would be nice.

Vivi's short-lived time with them was a kind of blessing.

However, tonight was not a night to dwindle in the past. Tonight was the epiphany of freedom and the true test of their natures. Over the time Zoro and Nami had spent together they'd slowly and steadily been learning their partners likes, dislikes, comforts and discomforts. It was wild but always censored, always quiet for fear of discovery, always in Nami's quarters or the bathing room. Tonight they could take what they'd learned and apply it in whatever a way they wished. Tonight was love without restrictions.

They met in the hall once the others seemed quiet enough, sneaking past the dozing doorman and into the lively streets of Amarina Island.

Once out of site of the hotel and any possible pirate spies Zoro took a moment to admire Nami's choice of clothing: A slinky purple dress that cut off very close to the end of her thighs in the front but was long in the back to compensate for lost material, long but clinging sleeves, a conservative but sexy neckline, and a strange assortment of jewelry.

It made him smirk a bit to think that she'd chosen him to be the object of her entertainment. Before all of this he'd seen her fitting well with Sanji, since they were both obnoxious and mindful of their looks, but now that thought made his pride prickle. Now she was all his, now this display was just for him.

Before heading towards the Going Merry Zoro and Nami stopped at a small, out of the way bar to pick up something alcoholic to take with them. Sanji might find it suspicious if some of the ship's original supply went missing while no one was there to drink it.

The bar was smoke hazed and noisy as nearly half the room was engaged in some sort of game or competition. Violent words and gestures crowded the air almost as thickly as the cigarette clouds did. There were also many people sitting alone, nursing single helpings of liquid intoxication.

'Probably hunters.' Zoro thought as his eyes swept over them but avoided contact. 'Waiting for prey.'

"Ah, Mr. Bartender! What's your cheapest drink?"

"Don't order crappy things just because you're stingy!!" The swordsman's attentions were on her again as he realized his taste buds were in jeopardy.

"Mmm…but I already spent so much on the hotel…" Nami tilted her head in a kind of pout that made Zoro's feathers ruffle and had him turning his head away as he dug through his pocket. "If you're going to be that way let me pay."

"No. You still owe me money remember?"

"Screw that!" Zoro's veins were busy settling themselves on his forehead as he slammed a handful of beli down on the counter. "Oi, got any Kaiseki-Sakura?"

The scar-faced bartender grunted a yes and reached back for a dusty bottle. Nami blinked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"We'll take a whole one." Another, more enthusiastic, grunt was the response as the big man leaned down and counted the golden coins with fingers that nearly matched the size of the round money.

When the bartender was sure the young pair had paid sufficiently he held out the deep crimson bottle to Zoro who took it with a manly gesture of a nod. "Thanks."

The man nodded back and as the two turned to go he gave them a thumbs up. It seemed the large bartender was also a fan of the sake and was glad to see it go to a worthy drinker.

When they were out of sight of the shady joint Nami let a breath go and looked up at Zoro from the view of her shoulder. "That was a creepy place, huh? 'Felt like someone was watching me."

"Don't wear skimpy cloths." Came the simple answer.

"…" Nami glared at him before glaring down at her threads.

"What is that anyway?" The navigator asked in attempts to recover herself. There was a small clink as she tapped the back of her fingernail against the deep red glass.

"Sake."

"Gee, thanks… What's special about it?"

Zoro didn't answer and Nami was thinking that it would serve him right if she refused all his requests that night but before she knew what was happening he had her pressed against a nearby wall with his back, one sword out and blocking an incoming launch-spear.

"Take it." He snuck the Japanese wine to her, his second hand itching for a sword.

"R-right…"

The spear withdrew into the shadows and the pirates made a run for the nearest alleyway. Whatever their attacker was they weren't going to risk a battle in the closed space. They'd learned a lesson from before: the closer the space the more easily they can throw a drug in your face. Life came before pride this time.

Nami and Zoro were both running at top speed but they couldn't manage to get out of the cornered battle field before a second attack came, this time in the form of a volley.

"!" Zoro whipped out a third sword and assumed his three-sword attack style, dodging, blocking, and protecting.

For a moment the projected spears stopped coming and the two pirates stood back to back, not wanting to run forward. By this time Nami had abandoned the bottle of sake and had her Clima Tact in hand.

"Cowards!" Zoro growled loudly at his hidden opponents.

Just when things seemed too quiet all of a sudden a masked figure pounced from the shadows.

Now that Zoro could see him it took almost no time to immobilize the man. "Tsh." Disgust dripped from the sound as Zoro stood with a thick black boot pressing the enemy's deadly spear launcher to the ground.

The masked man was stuttering in a panic, trying to get out a plea of mercy.

"Weak bastard. It would have been more interesting if you'd stayed a coward."

"What are you attacking _us_ for?" Nami questioned angrily, her two cannon-like rods pointed at the man menacingly.

"I-I-I...I…" From some unseen force the assassin drew his courage back to him. "I'm not telling you anything!!! Pirate bast—" The man received a knock-out blow to the head and fell to the side unconscious.

"Damn useless…" Nami grumbled. She had the bottle of sake in her arms again and was squeezing it so tightly Zoro feared for its safety. "Oi. It's alright. Let's go." Zoro put a hand on her head, drawing her along with him towards home.

Nami blinked, then sighed out the rest of her anger and followed suit.

:o:o

When they arrived the harbor was silent as a graveyard, no boat parties, no quarrels with the harbormaster, and no visible signs that anyone else had the same idea they did. 'Perfect.'

They split up for a moment once they'd boarded their trusty ship, each to go and retrieve little things and prepare for the night's festivities. Zoro to the kitchen for glasses and Nami to her bedroom to collect ingredients for a good bed, they hastened through these small tasks and meet up on deck again.

Nami stared down at him through the clear night air from her perch on the high-deck. Apparently she'd set up their outdoor bed amidst her tiny orchard. With a smile she leaned forward, her head dipped down onto her folded arms.

Zoro smirked and climbed up towards her, stopping just one deck short of her and reached up to snatch her from the higher position.

As she was lifted Nami felt a kind of blush rise in her cheeks and she allowed him to take her down off her pedestal. She brought a hand up to trace down the side of his head and when she passed over his cheek he tilted into her hand and closed his eyes.

Nami's heart began to race as she recognized this movement from the first time they'd done this. The first time they'd truly acknowledged one another.

His arms now wrapped themselves around her waist and he held Nami just off the ground, their bodies pressed tightly together as though trying to mold into a single entity.

Eye contact was skittery, first looking at her then looking down or away but always back to hers as Zoro walked down the stairs and out onto the wide open deck of the beloved ship.

Nami wasn't sure exactly where he was headed but she paid little attention to it as she focused instead on undoing the stiffly closed buttons clamped at the top of Zoro's neck. Tonight he wore a strangely delicate black button up shirt with folded sleeves and it was driving her crazy.

Leaving the other buttons for later Nami leaned in and kissed the newly exposed collarbone. With their closeness she could feel him shiver and smiled at her handiwork.

Finally the movement stopped and Nami felt herself being set down on side of the ship. To keep herself balanced she put a hand on the decorative swirl and kept another on Zoro's shoulder as he leveled himself with her knee.

Silently he cast his eyes down, and Nami began to wonder what he had in store for her. Large but gentle hands slipped from her middle, down long legs, to stop and grasp lightly at the calf and foot of her right leg. His eyes still hidden, Zoro proceeded to extract the black stiletto, setting it down silently out of the way off to the side.

Nami felt a similar shiver go down her spine. What kind of lover would she have tonight?

When the first stocking-clad foot was freed Zoro released it and turned to her other. He sat with his knees folded so he only had to bend a little to kiss her leg. He smirked as his exceptional hearing picked up the slight gasp and he felt her minimal muscles tense.

Mischievously the swordsman brought his lips along a curved path in the direction of her thigh, keeping to the top of the lovely leg.

He wouldn't let her move, keeping her still, allowing him his fun. Zoro's hands traveled restlessly over her hips and legs, pushing the sliced edge of the dress up higher or ducking his thumbs under the material to rub once against her stomach, or lightly protruding hipbone.

When he seemed to be exhausting himself of the smaller sentiments and started taking up more dangerous endeavors Nami use the previously limp hand on his shoulder to make her own fun.

Over the past few weeks she'd discovered a handy trick, just under his earlobe was a place that when rubbed turned him into an absolute slave to her wishes. The crafty navigator ran a finger first over the undisturbed ear, luring him to the false security of comfort, then mercilessly trailed her finger towards the desired spot and unleashed a deadly circle of massage on the tired muscle.

A low groan in his throat had her smiling at the easy success as the swordsman slowly melted into her hands. Keeping up the motion, Nami slipped down off her perch to sit in between his legs and attach herself to his chest.

This achieved, the offending hand moved its massage down his neck to his back where the left hand joined in.

"Mm…" Zoro nearly purred as he brought his head to nuzzle at her neck.

Nami loved it when he purred, though when brought up he would deny it quickly the next morning.

"You're so knotted." She said in a kind of pout that was seasoned with concern for his health.

"Mrr." An incoherent response followed by the slow re-awakening of his hands was the woman's only indication that she hadn't killed her partner and that he was merely limp with enjoyment.

A driving want urged Zoro to push past her spell and he drew on his difficult training to force himself to grab a tight hold of his desire and lift her up.

"Orange trees." She said hurriedly before bringing their lips together.

"Ah." He responded against her open mouth as he walked blindly towards the spot.

Once there he untangled Nami's arms from his torso he set her down gently on the pile of miss-matched blankets, leaving her legs wrapped around his hips. Knowing her flexibility, Zoro unhooked one leg, set it up on his shoulder, and began to remove the black stockings. Nami laid her head down and let him do as he wanted; she was enjoying the odd flame in his eyes as he took charge.

She allowed herself to be undressed and it was almost too sweetly slow. When he was finished, just to eek him, she remained stationary.

"Hey." He said in a kind of woof of a reminder, wondering if he'd hypnotized her somehow on accident. When she smiled at him Zoro realized she was playing with him again. So he brought her hand up to his shirt, willing her to grasp at the buttons and undo them.

With a laugh Nami complied and the evening began.

:o:o:

The clandestine couple enjoyed themselves thoroughly as they made the most of the night, experimenting and expressing themselves as loudly or quietly as they wanted and always together, not one moment without the other. With no one to barge in, interrupt, or disturb them except the nighttime seabirds snacking at the waves below Nami and Zoro could they their spirits run wild.

At the moment they lay in the mess of sheets and pillows Nami had put together earlier. Kaiseki-Sakura was nearly empty though they were drinking slowly through Zoro's request.

Something was troubling Nami's overly active mind and it showed on her face—though Zoro wouldn't have known since his was out of view with his head on her back. "Zoro…" She finally spoke up.

"Eh?"

"What did they ask you about, when the marines had you?"

A small silence followed the question. Since that time neither had talked much on the subject. Talk wasn't exactly the highlight of their "relationship" either since their time together was so minimal that they mostly spend it in silent enjoyment.

"Er…what was it…" Zoro lifted himself from his partner to sit up and scratch the back of his green head. His eyes shifted from side to side as his shoulders slumped down slightly.

Nami rolled onto her side, rested her head on her arms, and watched him with a serious but slightly amusement air. It was quite the dynamic question, but his small frustration from trying to remember was just slightly enjoyable. They had, after all, not quite rightly been "all there" during those torturous days and Nami wanted to compare notes—compare mental abilities.

"Not much, except…Jing Island? 'Kept askin' where it was?"

"Jing?" Nami said thoughtfully, one of her hands unconsciously coming up to draw circles on her lover's exposed knee. "Jing…sounds Chinese."

"Maybe a big treasure dump." Zoro suggested. The unknown attacker from earlier had been on his mind a little bit as well.

"Still…they wouldn't need to come after the Straw Hats…certainly not chase us all the way here."

With her visage drawn up in such a thoughtful expression Zoro couldn't help but smirk at her—and be a little surprised that she hadn't immediately jumped at the word "treasure". "Oi, figure that out later." He stooped down and nibbled at her ear, intending for the small pain to snap her out of the thinking sort of mood.

"Still…"

Zoro groaned. This would take a little more effort than he thought.

He received a swift chastising blow to the head. "This is serious!"

She glared at him as he growled at her. "You don't have to figure it out tonight, damn it."

"We should tell Luffy."

"About us?"

"NO! About what happened."

"Eh, telling him that, how are we suppose to explain what we were doing out in the middle of the night?"

"Simple, just tell him it was you who went out."

"Why me?!"

"…" Nami paused a good minute.

"…What?"

The stare continued.

"OI!"

Eventually the woman sighed, drained the last sip from her most recent cup of wine and curled herself around her irresistible but slightly slow partner.

Zoro watched her naked form a moment before taking sip from his own cup. She was getting sleepy, he knew, and in this state it was easy to comply with her needs since the swordsman knew she would be up again in an hour or so.

Then and there a strange heat from inside his chest burst like a firecracker, taking him by surprise. It wasn't the hot lava of desire, he knew that feeling too well to confuse the two, no, this was something new: a warm heat like the sunny patch on mid-morning sheets. When the initial shock of it wore away and he'd gained enough control to push it back Zoro lifted her, sheet and all, from their cove and carried her down into the boy's cabin.

With one leg still on the peg of the ladder and his other foot on the floor he couldn't help the sudden compulsion to kissed sleepy lips.

Carefully he lay down in his hammock, Nami cradled over him, and enjoyed the satisfaction of sleeping in his own bed.

Nami slept for a little less than an hour but Zoro wasn't even a bit sleepy. Instead of trying to doze off he stayed awake; sometimes with his eyes open and sometimes closed, and his thoughts wandered from one subject to the next, though he tried not to think of that foreign heat.

Random attackers, pathetic battles, a frustratingly small amount of information, the moonlight on Nami's back, the lonely bottle of liquor on the deck...

Was this new turn of events leading them somewhere dangerous? Wherever they ended up he hoped there was a good fight involved.


	8. Provocation

I own nothing

To my dear Amarante Akio, I hope this next chapter will be more to your liking and that it will explain some of the previous chapters and their babbling lemon-tinted fluff. I thank you very much for reminding me that this is story in the working, not just a dump for my Zoro/Nami fantasies.

Also a quick thank you to GooglyMooglies, who caught a few errors in character in chapter 7 which, I hope, were fixed. Please help me with those as I've only watched about 20 episodes in all.

:o:o:o:o:

"Nami-swaaaaan! Goodmooooorning! May I come in? It's time to…Nami?" The previously energetic Sanji searched around the empty room but found no one.

"Nami?" He even asked into the closet, but, alas, no Nami.

"WHAAHA? She's gone aGAIn?" A bug eyed Luffy responded to the news in his usual way.

"TOO LOUD!!" Usopp chastised him angrily.

"You're louder…" Sanji grumbled, his hands clutching his ringing ears.

"Z-Zoro's gone too." Chopper piped up, stirring the rest of the room's occupants into frenzy.

"Oi! Calm down ya shitheads!" The cook tried to bring a bit of order to his panicking and painfully nostalgic companions. He lit up the morning's first smoke and continued in a calmer and more sophisticated voice. "Luffy."

"Aye!"

"You go search the beach."

"Usopp." Hard eyes turned on the sometimes-cowardly marksman as a 'yahoooo' echoed in the background. "You search the shopping district."

"K-kay!"

"Chopper. You stay here incase they return."

"Right!" The small reindeer trembled with excitement over his Very Important task.

"I'll check the Going Merry. Perhaps Nami wanted something from her room."

It was wishful thinking, but Sanji hopped he would at least find Nami aboard the vessel.

Without any breakfast the pirates set out to re-discover their missing companions.

"Ooouuuh! My I-should-not-go-outside-today disease is acting up!" The commend from the wary Usopp—who remembered Zoro's recalling of the Marine's treatment and had the pessimistic idea that his companions had been caught again—earned him a swift kick from Sanji that forced him out into the morning sunlight.

"Ah…pain in the ass swordsman…' Sanji grumbled as he climbed the side of the beloved ship.

Things seemed quiet, normal, except that his acute senses were telling him that he wasn't alone. Someone was on the ship all right.

Carefully the chef opened the hatch to the boy's sleeping quarters and dropped in. At the sound of someone's entry Zoro bolted up from his hammock and reached for an absent sword.

Seeing that it was only Sanji Zoro relaxed for a moment, but only a moment, because not a second later he remembered he hadn't fallen asleep alone. Before he could react Sanji was screaming into his ear "INGRATE! Our beautiful Nami goes to the trouble of buying us all rooms and you sleep HERE?!"

Zoro quickly blocked the oncoming leg, blinking as his mind registered the scolding words. He looked down to discover that Nami wasn't at his side.

As the blonde man withdrew his leg the swordsman began to turn his head all around the room in a search for his lover. She wasn't with him, she wasn't on the floor, she wasn't hiding…she wasn't anywhere!

"Eh?" Sanji noticed his friend's startled confusion and obvious want of something that just wasn't there. It seemed Zoro wasn't the only slow on that morning. After a second passed his eyes were able to take in the scene more clearly and realized Zoro was looking for a lost companion—he also noticed mans the lack of clothing.

"Ah! In that case, thank you for choosing _this_ as your stage of play and allowing the rest of us to sleep peacefully."

The greenhaired swordsman turned to Sanji with a look of distain and discomfort. "What?"

"Aaaa, but poor thing! Dumped, it seems."

"EH?!"

:o:

"How far did she dump you from? Did it hurt? Did you land on your feet?"

After an hours' worth of searching the boys reunited at the hotel to re-charge their starving stomachs, and much to Zoro's displeasure Sanji had taken it upon himself to announce the swordsman's "lady troubles" loudly to everyone. Since then the ever curious and innocent Captain pelted him with questions while Usopp snickered away in the background. At first Chopper had inquired whether or not he was alright, and "did he require any medical assistance" but now he just sat with bug eyes, waiting for Zoro to answer Luffy's questions. Sanji was borrowing the hotel's humble kitchen and looked over his shoulder to serve up one last insight on the situation.

"If you're sure it was a girl."

This remark almost got the Love Chef killed, but his saving grace turned out to be the unexpected Nami. "Hey! If you're going to use someone else kitchen don't rough around in it!!"

"Nami!" They all cried out in unison.

"Nami, we thought you'd been kidnapped again!" Chopper explained as he clung to her leg.

The woman smiled and tried to wave her worried friends away. "A, that's how it is? Sorry, I wanted to look something up in the town library."

"Don't worry too much—" Sanji said as he put a plate of breakfast stuffs down in front of her after she sat down at the already crammed table. "—If you are unharmed then it is fine."

The navigator caught a look in Sanji's eyes that made her turn her head down and stare into her food.

Zoro, seeing the transaction, chomped angrily at a piece of sausage to hold back a growl.

Nami was brought from her guilty thinking when Luffy piped up about Zoro's "situation", reviving the life of the should-be-forgotten conversation.

"Oi, Zoro, can we meet her?"

"Who?" The navigator and the swordsman asked at the same time, one clueless, one annoyed.

The captain turned to his navigator with a large grin full of fun. "Zoro's friend! He snuck out to be with her and she dumped in! She must be re---------------ally strong!"

Nami's amber eyes found Zoro's across the table before his closed in aggravation and she tried her hardest not to laugh. She knew she would have to apologize later.

:o:o:

When later came the orange haired woman found herself cornered tightly against the dimly lit wood of the Going Merry's hallway. An angry, overly teased, frustrated swordsman had her pinned there.

"You didn't wake me up." His words came out in a stressed tone, his teeth barely clenched.

"Nope."

Their noses almost touched as he brought his head in closer and stressed out what seemed to be the last ounce of his patience. "_Why_?"

Nami tilted a tiny smile toward him, the back of her hand found a way to snake up his arm and stroke his bicep. She would find a way to calm him down with or without dirty tricks. After all, it _was_ technically her fault that he had all this anger pent up from the course of the morning and early afternoon.

The crew of the Going Merry had left port behind hours ago and was now following the Log Pose's guidance to the next destination. Despite the passing of time the badgering, questions, and teasing had continued almost endlessly.

Fingers still at gentle play with his skin, she tested the waters with a sweet voice. "I'm sorry."

But her efforts were wasted against all the pent up abuse.

He wanted to chew her out.

"I am. I know I should have woken you but..."

He wanted to chew her up.

"…you looked so peaceful."

Chomp her.

"So cute." There was tease in her voice but he was already intoxicated and didn't pay attention to the 'insult'.

Nibble…

Zoro let out a sigh of defeat as her magic charmed him back to his regular, calm, static self.

The tamed beast leaned his head down and hid it in the crook of his woman's neck. Almost immediately the warmth he'd been trying to push to the back of his mind returned. Earlier that feeling had shocked the unholy scabbard out of him, and it still did, but for some reason now he felt a bit more willing to give it's presence some contemplation.

"Good thing I cleaned up though." Nami said as she let a puff of air blow out from her cheek in quiet relief that the tension had disappeared.

He gave no response but brought his arms tightly around her, trying to hide them deeper in the shadows.

Nami was a bit reluctant to complete the embrace, wary of prying eyes, but it was hard to resist this man, her wishes, and his body. So after a moment's pause she brought her arms up around Zoro's neck and held his shoulders.

"Just for a little while then."

A grunt of a response was all she got from him.

"There's still more of that drink left." She felt the need to say something; maybe if she said the right words they could stay like this and never be discovered.

"M."

The hallway was a fairly open place, and it would be easy for some unsuspecting crewmember to barge in on them, but Zoro didn't want to let go. With an arm around her small frame and another hand in her hair he was content, and the danger of discovery was nothing if this tranquility could just continue.

"Can't stay here." Nami muttered in a drowsy manner after more than a generous few minutes had slipped by.

"A." He responded but didn't move. Single syllable responses were becoming popular with him.

"Seriously." She made a small attempt.

"N." They were easily said, didn't require much thought…

"Really…" Nami reluctantly withdrew her arms and her half of the meeting fell apart.

Zoro straitened himself a bit, fighting away the groggy look in his eyes, but when Nami was about to turn and go back to her research the strong man took hold of her cheek and kissed her softly. It lasted for a mere teasing moment—light, and so soft Nami had to wonder if it was real—and although they'd done much worse Nami felt herself flush deeply under the gaze of the man who'd just kissed her like a breath of cotton.

Zoro left her alone in the dim hall with her thoughts as he turned to face the daylight and further teasing torture. Nami, still a little surprised by the 'out of the blue' affection, resigned herself to her "borrowed" reference materials for the rest of the day.

Elsewhere…

"Sir! We've just received information on the whereabouts of the Straw H—." "Then hurry up and say it." Captain How was very much an impatient man.

"Y-yes sir. They were spotted this morning, leaving Uscorror Island heading North, Northwest."

A minimally satisfied smile appeared on the clean-shaven man's lips. "How long until we've caught up with them?"

"About four days sir."

The weathered marine's smile faded. "Make it three."

"But sir—" "We don't have all the time in the world to idle around on our asses!! Make. It. Three."

"S-sir, yes sir!"

The short, thick man chuckled to himself as his subordinates ran around, franticly trying their best to fulfill his wishes.

:o:o:o:

That night when Zoro snuck into Nami's quarters he found her fast asleep with her arms folded over a large and ancient library book. More like it were stacked neatly—with some minimal disorder—over the navigator's desk.

Seeing her sleeping face made the confusing warmth flame through his whole body and Zoro knew he shouldn't wake her.

The strong swordsman lifted her carefully from the chair and carried her to the bed in the corner. This accomplished, he left for just enough time to snuff the intruding desk light before coming back to her. Time away was irritating.

Now that they were alone he was free to let himself loose. The tired swordsman curled around the object of his thoughts, delving under the sparse covers and fitting comfortably in her bed meant for one.

Shortly after the encounter in the hallway Zoro thought up a way of giving his pesky friends the slip—hiding in Nami's orange trees—and spent the rest of the day in their generous shade meditating. In that time of meditation he' thought of just one thing. That warm feeling.

With the ocean breeze in his hair, his clinking earrings together like wind chimes, the patchy sunlight on his face, and the warm planks of the Going Merry's upper deck under his back the man came to a dynamic conclusion.

He thought he could understand it and its' purpose now, at least a little bit. It was the wanting to be near her, around her, no matter how they were together just so long as they were. That, he realized, was better than lust, better than curiosity or even indulgence.

Although Zoro had come to these conclusions he was in no great hurry to express such an embarrassing thing to Nami, and as such was grateful for her deep sleeping. If she had been awake, if they had done anything…there wasn't any kind of wall or barrier constructed yet to keep those feelings in. He might blurt them out at any time, in a rushed way, and ruin them forever.

A little while later the feeling of something squeezing her and the sound of light snoring brought Nami from the depths of her slumber. Brown eyes opened to see the deep blue threads of Zoro's tank-top.

Instead of disturbing his sleep, Nami tilted her head to gaze up at him. 'What was that look today?' She asked him silently as a hand snuck up to play with a ghostly touch over Zoro's features.

'Isn't this just for fun?' She traced his cheek.

'Just two pirates making the most of their lives…' She touched his lip.

Of course she cared for him, worried for him, missed him when they couldn't be together. But that meant nothing; those feelings were natural for companions. After all, they'd been part of the same crew for little more than a year before this business started. She felt the same thing for the Usopp, Chopper, Luffy, and Sanji, it's just that she and Zoro had chemistry, that's all. 'Lots of chemistry.' Nami mused as she gave kissing him a brief thought.

But Nami knew that look he'd given her very well. It was the look of a man who wanted more than he was being given.

"Zoro…"

He didn't stir at the sound of his name and Nami knew he must be dreaming. Whenever he fell into uninterruptible sleep he was dreaming, but that was all she knew. They never talked about dreams.

Suddenly she smiled against all her dreary and serious thoughts. Of all the things she knew about him there weren't many personal things, but she knew that. She also knew he liked wind chimes, that was the idea behind his three earrings, besides the fact they complimented his three sword-style. 'No one else probably knows that.' The navigator thought proudly.

Although she was proud of these discoveries she was naturally curious, and such small tidbits of information would never satisfy her inquiring mind.

As a final thought, Nami did kiss him. Quickly and quietly, before snuggle down under the covers and into his neck. 'It'll be cold tonight.'

:o:o:o:

"Oi, Usopp! Let me try…" Luffy whined as the rest of his rubber body wiggled around.

"I'm telling you it's not finished!"

"What's not finished?" The familiar orange head of the Going Merry's only female popped up to ask.

"Ah! Nami! You're just in time to witness the GREAT Usopp's latest invention."

The woman tilted her head to the side, ignoring Luffy's pouted interjection that "he had helped too."

"I call it, the Banana Bounce!" He held up what appeared to be a pathetic looking banana peal that had been tied to tiny ball launcher.

"…What's it do?" She asked, trying to keep the skepticism from her voice.

"I'm glad you asked!"

Luffy's eyes widened in anticipation as he stood up to assist in the demonstration.

"Supposing there's an intruder aboard? First! The banana trips them."

Luffy fell down dramatically.

"Then, the pressure on the peal flips this switch which _launches_ the ball—"

The captain stood up again, only to be knocked back down and out from the incoming and unsuspecting attack.

"Brilliant huh? Huh?" The captain asked through a large grin as his head lifted from the ground.

"How _do_ you do it?" Nami wasn't in the mood to yell at them and break their idea. They were only children at heart—and at head sometimes—and today she felt very mature. Her research was coming along nicely, and the night before had been particularly adventurous.

She and the swordsman had almost been discovered in the bath, and Nami had to escape out the window. Later they both laughed and hoped something exciting like that happened again soon.

With this in mind she gave them a smile of encouraging sympathy before turning around to go back to her navigator duties.

However, she failed to see the rejected banana peal that lay just under her foot—and all around the deck. In a not so graceful motion Nami slipped backwards and toppled over the railing. "W-ha, aaaaaaa!"

She would have fallen headfirst onto the deck below if not for the strong body that came to her rescue.

"Zoro!"

With both arms drawn tightly around her shoulders and his legs tucked under him Zoro had caught her, literally sliding into action at the last second. Her back was pressed against him but she could still see the cut on his cheek. In the rushed transition from devoted trainee to savior his own sword managed to draw blood from his cheek as it was discarded.

With Sanji screaming in the background and Chopper running out to see what the commotion was nobody noticed Nami turning in his arms; Apology in her eyes as she surveyed the damage.

A slanted cut that bled minimally played Connect the Dots with his cheek and jawbone. She reached up to touch him—for the moment not caring about the reaction her distracted teammates might have—and touched that cheek in a sorry way.

Nami met his gaze—those eyes were back, those wanting eyes, but this time with a greater intensity—and almost immediately looked away.

Disturbed over her distance, Zoro lifted her silently into a stand and started to walk off.

By this time, however, Chopper had caught on to Zoro's wound. "Zoro! We should treat that soon if you don't want it to scar."

"Ah." He turned, grudgingly following the small reindeer.

"Nami?"

"Yes?!" She was currently trying to pry Sanji away.

"W-would you like to learn more today?"

"Huh? Oh! Of course." With this excuse she was able to wiggle out of the Love Cook's clinging grasp and join the patient and the doctor in his study.

"…Nami's learning medicine?" Usopp asked with a tilt of his head. "Ah…. sounds dangerous…Hm…" A horror picture appeared in his mind of a violent looking Nami holding a scalpel.

"Shithead! If Nami wants to learn then encourage her!!!" In Sanji's mind of romance she was smiling sweetly and dressed in revealing white nurse attire.

The captain had nothing to say on the matter, he was still a bit confused over the strange interaction he'd witnessed.

"Now it's nice and clean, so you can put the gel over it to help it close up."

"Really?" Nami turned towards her teacher a moment before spreading an experimental amount of medicine on her patient's cheek.

"Yup!!" The reindeer proclaimed happily.

She smiled at him before turning her sight back in the right direction. In a low voice she said to him "Don't you think that was a bit too much?"

"Eh?" Zoro stuck his bottom lip out, in a kind of annoyed gesture, which was swiftly followed by the start of a very good glare when she continued with:

"You didn't have to rush so fast that you hurt yourself. Honestly, one of the other boys would have caught me."

This ruffled his hackles nicely.

I own nothing

A new chapter for a new year 3

To my dear Amarante Akio, I hope this next chapter will be more to your liking and that it will explain some of the previous chapters and their babbling lemon-tinted fluff. I thank you very much for reminding me that this is story in the working, not just a dump for my Zoro/Nami fantasies.

Also a quick thank you to GooglyMooglies, who caught a few errors in character in chapter 7 which, I hope, were fixed. Please help me with those as I've only watched about 20 episodes in all.

And a quick advertisement: go to youtube and search "El Tango de Nami" and click the one submitted by PaintBrushPlushi. That's me you know. :hearts:

"Nami-swaaaaan! Goodmooooorning! May I come in? It's time to…Nami?" The previously energetic Sanji searched around the empty room but found no one.

"Nami?" He even asked into the closet, but, alas, no Nami.

"WHAAHA? She's gone aGAIn?" A bug eyed Luffy responded to the news in his usual way.

"TOO LOUD!!" Usopp chastised him angrily.

"You're louder…" Sanji grumbled, his hands clutching his ringing ears.

"Z-Zoro's gone too." Chopper piped up, stirring the rest of the room's occupants into frenzy.

"Oi! Calm down ya shitheads!" The cook tried to bring a bit of order to his panicking and painfully nostalgic companions. He lit up the morning's first smoke and continued in a calmer and more sophisticated voice. "Luffy."

"Aye!"

"You go search the beach."

"Usopp." Hard eyes turned on the sometimes-cowardly marksman as a 'yahoooo' echoed in the background. "You search the shopping district."

"K-kay!"

"Chopper. You stay here incase they return."

"Right!" The small reindeer trembled with excitement over his Very Important task.

"I'll check the Going Merry. Perhaps Nami wanted something from her room."

It was wishful thinking, but Sanji hopped he would at least find Nami aboard the vessel.

Without any breakfast the pirates set out to re-discover their missing companions.

"Ooouuuh! My I-should-not-go-outside-today disease is acting up!" The commend from the wary Usopp—who remembered Zoro's recalling of the Marine's treatment and had the pessimistic idea that his companions had been caught again—earned him a swift kick from Sanji that forced him out into the morning sunlight.

"Ah…pain in the ass swordsman…' Sanji grumbled as he climbed the side of the beloved ship.

Things seemed quiet, normal, except that his acute senses were telling him that he wasn't alone. Someone was on the ship all right.

Carefully the chef opened the hatch to the boy's sleeping quarters and dropped in. At the sound of someone's entry Zoro bolted up from his hammock and reached for an absent sword.

Seeing that it was only Sanji Zoro relaxed for a moment, but only a moment, because not a second later he remembered he hadn't fallen asleep alone. Before he could react Sanji was screaming into his ear "INGRATE! Our beautiful Nami goes to the trouble of buying us all rooms and you sleep HERE?!"

Zoro quickly blocked the oncoming leg, then blinked as his mind registered the scolding words. He looked down to discover that Nami wasn't at his side.

As the blonde man withdrew his leg the swordsman began to turn his head all around the room in a search for his lover. She wasn't with him, she wasn't on the floor, she wasn't hiding…she wasn't anywhere!

"Eh?" Sanji saw his startled confusion and obvious want of something that just wasn't there. It seemed Zoro wasn't the only slow on that morning. Finally he began to take in the scene more clearly and realized Zoro was looking for a lost companion as well—he also noticed mans the lack of clothing.

"Ah! In that case, thank you for choosing _this_ as your stage of play and allowing the rest of us to sleep peacefully."

The greenhaired swordsman turned to Sanji with a look of distain and discomfort. "What?"

"A---a, but poor thing! Dumped, it seems."

"EH?!"

"How far did she dump you from? Did it hurt? Did you land on your feet?"

The five-some had been reunited without their female navigator after an hour's worth of searching, and much to Zoro's displeasure Sanji had taken it upon himself to announce the swordsman's "lady troubles" loudly to everyone. Since then the ever curious and innocent Captain pelted him with questions while Usopp snickered away in the background. At first Chopper had inquired whether or not he was alright, and "did he require any medical assistance" but now he just sat with bug eyes, waiting for Zoro to answer Luffy's questions. Sanji was borrowing the hotel's humble kitchen and looked over his shoulder to serve up one last insight on the situation.

"If you're sure it was a girl."

This remark almost got the Love Chef killed, but his saving grace turned out to be the unexpected Nami. "Hey! If you're going to use someone else kitchen don't rough around in it!!"

"Nami!" They all cried out in unison.

"Nami, we thought you'd been kidnapped again!" Chopper explained as he clung to her leg.

The woman smiled and tried to wave her worried friends away. "A, that's how it is? Sorry, I wanted to look something up in the town library."

"Don't worry too much—" Sanji said as he put a plate of breakfast stuffs down in front of her after she sat down at the already crammed table. "—If you are unharmed then it is fine."

The navigator caught a look in Sanji's eyes that made her turn her head down and stare into her food.

Zoro, seeing the transaction, chomped angrily at a piece of sausage to hold back a growl.

Nami was brought from her guilty thinking when Luffy piped up about Zoro's "situation", reviving the life of the should-be-forgotten conversation.

"Oi, Zoro, can we meet her?"

"Who?" The navigator and the swordsman asked at the same time, one clueless, one annoyed.

The captain turned to his navigator with a large grin full of fun. "Zoro's friend! He snuck out to be with her and she dumped in! She must be re---------------ally strong!"

Nami's amber eyes found Zoro's across the table before his closed in aggravation and she tried her hardest not to laugh. She knew she would have to apologize later.

When later came the orange haired woman found herself cornered tightly against the dimly lit wall of the hallway. An angry, overly teased, frustrated swordsman had her pinned there.

"You didn't wake me up." His words came out in a stressed tone, his teeth barely clenched.

"Nope."

Their noses almost touched as he brought his head in closer and stressed out what seemed to be the last ounce of his patience. "_Why_?"

Nami smiled a tiny smile at him, the back of her hand found a way to snake up his arm and stroke its bicep.

Nevertheless, in this current position she felt a bit intimidated, if not stirred, and she wanted to sooth out some of the anger he'd pent up over the course of the morning and early afternoon.

The crew of the Going Merry had left port behind hours ago, was now following the Log Pose's guidance to the next destination, and yet the badgering, questions, and teasing had continued almost endlessly.

Fingers still at gentle play with his skin, she answered in a sweet voice. "I'm sorry."

But her efforts were wasted against all the pent up abuse.

He wanted to chew her out.

"I am. I know I should have woken you but..."

He wanted to chew her up.

"…you looked so peaceful."

Chomp her.

"So cute." There was tease in her voice but he was already intoxicated and didn't pay attention to the 'insult'.

Nibble…

Zoro let out a sigh of defeat as her magic charmed him back to his regular, calm, static self.

The tamed beast leaned his head down and hid it in the crook of his woman's neck. Almost immediately the warmth he'd been trying to push to the back of his mind returned. Earlier that feeling had shocked the unholy scabbard out of him, and it still did, but for some reason now he felt a bit more willing to give it's presence some contemplation.

"Good thing I cleaned up though." Nami said as she let a puff of air blow out from her cheek in quiet relief that the tension had disappeared.

He gave no response but brought his arms tightly around her, trying to hide them deeper in the shadows.

Nami was a bit reluctant to complete the embrace, wary of prying eyes, but it was hard to resist this man, her wishes, and his body. So after a moment's pause she brought her arms up around Zoro's neck and held his shoulders.

"Just for a little while then."

A grunt of a response was all she got from her withering partner.

"There's still more of that drink left." She felt the need to say something, thinking that talk might make things last without the world finding out.

"M."

The hallway was a fairly open place, and it would be easy for some unsuspecting crewmember to barge in on them, but Zoro didn't want to let go. With an arm around her small frame and another hand in her hair he was content, and the danger of discovery was nothing if this tranquility could just continue.

"Can't stay here." Nami muttered in a drowsy manner after more than a generous few minutes had slipped by.

"A." He responded but didn't move. Single syllable responses were becoming popular with him.

"Seriously." She made a small attempt.

"N." They were easily said, didn't require much thought…

"Really…" Nami reluctantly withdrew her arms and her half of the meeting fell apart.

Zoro straitened himself a bit, but when Nami was about to turn and go back to her research the strong man took hold of her chin and kissed her softly. It lasted for a mere teasing moment—and was so light Nami had to stop and wonder if they was still touching—but Nami blushed a deep pink when he pulled away.

He left her in the dim hall with her thoughts as he turned to face daylight and further teasing torture. Nami, still a little surprised by the 'out of the blue' affection, resigned herself to he room and her "borrowed" reference materials for the rest of the day.

Elsewhere…

"Sir! We've just received information on the whereabouts of the Straw H—." "Then hurry up and say it." Captain How was very much an impatient man.

"Y-yes sir. They were spotted this morning, leaving Uscorror Island, heading North, Northwest."

A minimally satisfied smile appeared on the clean-shaven man's lips. "How long until we've caught up with them?"

"About four days sir."

The weathered marine's smile faded. "Make it three."

"But sir—" "We don't have all the time in the world to idle around on our asses!! Make. It. Three."

"S-sir, yes sir!"

The short, thick man chuckled to himself as his subordinates ran around, franticly trying their best to fulfill his wishes.

That night, when Zoro snuck into Nami's quarters he found her fast asleep with her arms folded over a large, ancient looking, "borrowed", library book. More of its kind were stacked neatly—and in some cases not so neatly—over the navigator's desk.

Seeing her sleeping face made the confusing warmth flame through his whole body, and Zoro knew he shouldn't wake her.

The strong swordsman lifted her carefully from the chair and carried her to the bed in the corner. This accomplished, he left for just enough time to snuff the intruding desk light before coming back to her. Time away was irritating.

Now that they were alone he was free to let himself loose. The tired swordsman curled around the object of his thoughts, delving under the sparse covers and fitting comfortably in her bed meant for one.

Shortly after the encounter in the hallway Zoro thought up a way of giving his pesky friends the slip—hiding in Nami's orange trees—and spent the rest of the day in their generous shade meditating. In that time of meditation he' thought of just one thing. That warm feeling.

With the ocean breeze in his hair and tinkling his earrings together like wind chimes, the patchy sunlight on his face, and the warm planks of the Going Merry's upper deck at his back the man came to a dynamic conclusion.

He thought he could understand it and it's purpose now, at least a little bit. It was the wanting to be near her, around her, no matter how they were together just so long as they were. That, he thought, was better than lust, better than curiosity or even indulgence.

Although Zoro had come to these theories he was in no great hurry to express such an embarrassing thing to Nami, so he was grateful for her sleeping. If she had been awake, if they had done anything…there wasn't any kind of wall or barrier constructed yet to keep those feelings in. He might blurt them out at any time, in a rushed way, and ruin them forever.

So with philosophy in his head and his lover's scent in his nose the swordsman drifted into his own sleep.

A little while later the feeling of something squeezing her and the sound of light snoring woke Nami up. Brown eyes opened to see the deep blue threads of Zoro's tank-top ((I love that tank-top so much. The skypia arc was very kind to us Zoro fans)) and his chest.

Instead of disturbing his sleep, Nami tilted her head to gaze up at him. 'What was that look today?' She asked him silently as a hand snuck up to play with a ghostly touch over Zoro's features.

'Isn't this just for fun?' She traced his cheek.

'Just two pirates making the most of their lives…' She touched his lip.

Of course she cared for him, worried for him, missed him when they couldn't be together. But that meant nothing; those feelings were natural for companions. After all, they'd been part of the same crew for little more than a year before this business started. She felt the same thing for the Usopp, Chopper, Luffy, and Sanji, it's just that she and Zoro had chemistry, that's all. 'Lots of chemistry.' Nami mused as she gave kissing him a brief thought.

But Nami knew that look he'd given her very well. It was the look of a man who wanted more than he was being given.

"Zoro…"

He didn't stir at the sound of his name and Nami knew he must be dreaming. Whenever he fell into uninterruptible sleep he was dreaming, but that was all she knew. They never talked about dreams.

Suddenly she smiled against all her dreary and serious thoughts. Of all the things she knew about him there weren't many personal things, but she knew that. She also knew he liked wind chimes, that was the idea behind his three earrings, besides the fact they complimented his three sword-style. 'No one else probably knows that.' The navigator thought proudly.

Although she was proud of these discoveries she was naturally curious, and such small tidbits of information would never satisfy her inquiring mind.

As a final thought, Nami did kiss him. Quickly and quietly, before snuggle down under the covers and into his neck. 'It'll be cold tonight.'

"Oi, Usopp! Let me try…" Luffy whined as the rest of his rubber body wiggled around.

"I'm telling you it's not finished!"

"What's not finished?" The familiar orange head of the Going Merry's navigator popped up to ask.

"Ah! Nami! You're just in time to witness the GREAT Usopp's latest invention."

The woman tilted her head to the side, ignoring Luffy's pouted interjection that "he had helped too."

"I call it, the Banana Bounce!" He held up what appeared to be a pathetic looking banana peal that had been tied to tiny ball launcher.

"…What's it do?" She asked, trying to keep the skepticism from her voice.

"I'm glad you asked!"

Luffy's eyes widened in anticipation as he stood up to assist in the demonstration.

"Supposing there's an intruder aboard? First! The banana trips them."

Luffy fell down dramatically.

"Then, the pressure on the peal flips this switch which _launches_ the ball—"

The captain stood up again, only to be knocked back down and out from the incoming and unsuspecting attack.

"Brilliant huh? Huh?" The captain asked through a large grin as his head lifted from the ground.

"How _do_ you do it?" Nami wasn't in the mood to yell at them and break their idea. They were only children at heart—and at head sometimes—and today she felt very mature. Her research was coming along nicely, and the night before had been particularly adventurous.

She and the swordsman had almost been discovered in the bath, and Nami had to escape out the window. Later they both laughed and hoped something exciting like that happened again soon.

With this in mind she gave them a smile of encouraging sympathy, then turned around to go back to her navigator duties.

However, she failed to see the rejected banana peal that lay just under her foot—and all around the deck. In a not so graceful motion Nami slipped backwards and toppled over the railing. "W-ha, aaaaaaa!"

Headfirst she would have fallen if not for the strong body that came to her rescue.

"Zoro!"

With both arms drawn tightly around her shoulders and his legs tucked under him Zoro had caught her, literally sliding into action at the last second. Her back was to him, but she could still see the cut on his cheek. In the rushed transition from trainee to savior his own sword managed to draw blood from his cheek as it was discarded.

With Sanji screaming in the background and Chopper running out to see what the commotion was, nobody noticed Nami turning in his arms. Apology was in her eyes as he surveyed the damage.

A slanted cut that bled minimally played connect the dot with his cheekbones. She reached up to touch him—for the moment not caring about the reaction her distracted teammates might have—and touched that cheek in a sorry way.

Nami met his gaze—those eyes were back, those wanting eyes, but this time with a greater intensity—and almost immediately looked away.

Disturbed over her distance, Zoro lifted her silently into a stand and started to walk off.

By this time, however, Chopper had caught on to Zoro's wound. "Zoro! We should treat that soon if you don't want it to scar."

"A." He turned, grudgingly following the small reindeer.

"Nami?"

"Yes?!" She was currently trying to pry Sanji away.

"W-would you like to learn more today?"

"Huh? Oh! Of course." With this excuse she was able to wiggle out of the Love Cook's clinging grasp and join the patient and the doctor in his study.

"…Nami's learning medicine?" Usopp asked with a tilt of his head. "Ah…. sounds dangerous…Hm…" A horror picture appeared in his mind of a violent looking Nami holding a scalpel.

"Shithead! If Nami wants to learn then encourage her!!!" In Sanji's mind of romance she was smiling sweetly and dressed in revealing white nurse attire.

The captain had nothing to say on the matter, he was still a bit confused over the strange interaction he'd witnessed.

"Now it's nice and clean, so you can put the gel over it to help it close up."

"Really?" Nami turned towards her teacher a moment before spreading an experimental amount of medicine on her patient's cheek.

"Yup!!" The reindeer proclaimed happily.

She smiled at him before turning her sight back in the right direction. In a low voice she said to him "Don't you think that was a bit too much?"

"Eh?" Zoro stuck his bottom lip out, in a kind of annoyed gesture, which was swiftly followed by the start of a very good glare when she continued with:

"You didn't have to rush so fast you hurt yourself. Honestly, one of the other boys would have caught me."

This ruffled his hackles nicely.

"You would've broken your damn neck if I hadn't saved your ass just then."

"People don't die from falling off things like that." She said in a deeper hush as her thumb gently pressed down a bandage on the offended cheek, trying to get him to lower his own voice.

Now she'd done it.

"What do _you_ know about falling? People fall to their death all the time." His angry voice caught the busy doctor's attention.

"Human's aren't _that _fragile." Nami protested, personally insulted by his conclusion that she was so easily broken. "Even if I had been hurt it's nothing Chopper couldn't fix!"

"Can he fix you if you're dead?!"

"Um…G-guys?"

"I told you, women are stronger than you think!" Now it was an all war.

Zoro growled low in his throat as he prepared his attack. "All that time with those fish-freaks must have made you forget how easily people can kick it!!"

"D-don't fight!" The frightened reindeer tried to interject.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!!" They both screamed in his direction.

Now the whole crew was alerted to the problem and had turned their ears in the direction of its source.

"You're so stupid!! You…you chauvinist!!!" "I'M stupid?!!"

A few more seconds of obscene and painful exchanged continued the argument until Nami stormed off to her own room, her whole body trembling though she was obviously trying to appear composed. The rest of her boys were careful to stay out of her path.

"Hm…that was a big one…" Usopp commented while leaning against the doorway as if he was doing a weather forecast.

"I'm glad." Sanji opinionated.

"Why?" Luffy asked with a confused expression and a small tilt of his rubbery neck.

"It's been too quiet." The Love Cook concluded through longer fingers that lit a fresh cigarette. "It's natural for them to fight. 'Means this shitty ship's going right. Like Luffy craving meat."

"WHEN'S LUNCH?"

The captain was quieted again by a hard kick to the head. "We just ate it…Dumbass."

What the boys didn't hear was Nami's close range hiss of "_you can stay in your own room tonight!_" as she escaped the battle arena.

Chopper was left to deal with Zoro, who quickly stormed off—violently avoiding any further treatment—and re-located himself to a quiet, Nami-free place.

Chopper was left to deal with Zoro, who quickly stormed off—violently avoiding any further treatment—and re-located himself to a quiet, Nami-free place.

Sanji went off to finish cleaning from lunch and sweep up the broken dish he'd dropped in his rush to try and help.

Usopp set about evacuating the banana peals and keeping Luffy from consuming them.

Nami retreated to her room where she spent the rest of a good hour or two. After that, her sad mood—brought on by what she could only explain as withdrawal—had her walking in a mindless kind of way around the ship. One hand on the rail or drifting over a rope, her other limp at her side or lifted as she checked the direction of the Arrow in the Log Pose.

All in all it was a fairly unproductive day, and it looked as though it would be an unproductive night as well.

The young navigator lay in bed with all her lights off, staying awake to wait and see if he would disobey her and come. Almost two hours she waited in silence until Nami thought she might actually be going mad. But she wasn't.

No, it was worse than madness.

She was going sad.

When Nami's inner woman finally decided to break it to her, told her bluntly that Zoro wasn't coming, the pain of the realization caused her hard heart of gold to twinge and tears came to her eyes. This was the first time since that initial night that they'd slept separately.

She sat up in bed to watch the door for a moment in a last desperate motion. When the unwanted water came her lip began to tremble and a sob of protest nearly escaped them.

He wasn't coming.

He really wasn't coming, and there was no getting him here.

Or so she thought.

When the night seemed destined to be hopelessly lonely the wooden door to Nami's room opened forcefully and a troubled looking Zoro entered.

"Z-Zoro…" The woman sniffed.

:o:o:o:o:o

"How much longer?" The question rang through the steel helm like a piercing blow.

"One day Sir."

"Good. And…the little experiment?"

"Ready for action Sir."

Whiskey gurgled in his throat as the Captain chuckled into a sip.

"Very good."

((I love that tank-top so much. The skypia arc was very kind to us Zoro fans))


	9. Enter: Love and Navy

I own nothing

I've finally finished that Nami/Zoro fanart, go see it on my Deviantart account at paintbrushplushi . deviantart . com (no spaces)

:o:o:o:o:o:

It was her fault. She'd told him not to come. She was the one who pushed him away, even though Nami knew this perfectly well it still hurt. She regretted the choice and felt so drained from her loneliness it was almost painful to breathe.

She wanted him here with her, not somewhere else. Not far away. Not even across the hallway.

So when Nami saw that familiar head poking through her doorway she didn't even think to notice the also familiar katana in his right hand. All she thought about was getting to him as quickly as possible.

A startled expression interrupted his previously stone dead visage as he watched the woman stand up and—using the springs of the bed—jump at him.

Zoro caught Nami easily, taking a small step back to ease the pressure of the impact, and held her up with the arm that carried no sheathed weapon. Her arms were around his neck, her shoulder just a foot above his, and her chest hovered conveniently close to his face.

Because of the close proximity the swordsman could hear her heart pounding in its cage and every sharp whimpered breath Nami drew as she clung to him. It seemed she was more upset about this than he'd been.

He slipped the sword back into its place at his hip, freeing his hand, and Zoro brought it up and settled it in the middle of Nami's shoulders. He kissed her chest in apology for making her wait.

Nami laughed through a small sob. "T-this is stupid…what are we gunna do the next time Luffy wants to have an adventure? 'Can't even stay away one damn night…" The last sentence quietly faded away into less than a whisper.

The swordsman didn't offer an answer but pet her back with his thumb and silently waited for Nami's fit to ware away. Every hard intake of breath was like a pinprick to his skin and he wanted it to be over soon.

When his navigator had quieted down and was stroking his hair instead of grabbing a fist of it he walked over to the bed and sat her down softly. She made a small struggle when he tried to untangle her arms from his neck but when he squeezed her wrists warningly Nami obliged.

Tenderly Zoro brought the sword from his side before taking the seat beside Nami at the foot of the bed. When Nami glanced over at him questioningly he refused to meet her gaze. After another small moment of silence he offered the snow-white katana to her. His arm thrust out in a quick but reserved motion and his black eyes still fixed upon the floor.

Speechlessly confused, the petite navigator took the sword.

Once it was in her trusted hands Zoro proceeded to tell the sad tale of Kuina.

He told Nami about his many defeats, about the dream he and the little girl shared, and lastly he told of her death, speaking as though of some great legend that was more dear to him than most of reality.

The woman at his right sat silently, holding the sword against her body in a gentle way, and didn't say anything even after the story was over.

Nami had very little experience in this area. The: "how to respond to someone who's lost someone" area.

She was, however, an expert at being the person who's lost someone. 'If it were me…'

So she set the beautiful sword down on the pillow, quietly, slowly, softly…before turning and giving Zoro a swift smack on the head.

"OI!"

"And if you had really hurt yourself today, just to save me from a tumble, what would it do to that little girl's dream?" The orange haired woman scolded like a wet hen.

Zoro narrowed his eyes at her. "If it was a matter of impale myself or save you I would have let Luffy handle it, but it _wasn't_." His verging angry eyes softened a bit. "It was a matter of get a nick or save you…"

Nami sighed softly, her scowl gone, and brought her arms around his head once more. That was enough angry for now she decided. After all, the young woman _was_ grateful, not to mention proud, for his efforts.

"She was just a little girl. Little girls are broken much more easily than big girls." She whispered to him, her hands tracing over the knotted muscles of his shoulders. "I'm a big girl."

"So I noticed." He muttered, a tiny smirk creeping back into his features.

Nami considered smacking him again for the comment but resolved not to when she realized she simply didn't have the energy for it. Instead she pulled the minimal necessary amount away from him to kiss his forehead.

She kissed him and they said nothing.

His hands brushed down her sides and they said nothing.

She pet his hair in a downward caress and kissed him a second time, and then the silence was broken.

"I'll be more careful."

"Good." Zoro paused a moment before making his own, bolder, statement. "I'd keep you with me."

"Hm?" Nami pulled away from him, her adorable brown eyes blinking with a lack of understanding.

"The next time we have an adventure."

Strong hands, almost the size of her waist, came up to hold her and guide her down onto the bed. "I'd keep you with me. Like in Alabasta." However, just before he could kiss her Nami bolted out from under him, grabbed the katana and hid it in the closet.

"…" He didn't need to ask what she was doing; his eyes did the job well enough.

"I'm not doing it in front of a kid!" Nami protested, a silly smile accented her face and a flame of warmth attack Zoro's system.

Seeing her this way, smiling so happily, her hair falling around her face in disorder, he suddenly knew it.

Without a doubt, he was in love.

She came back to the bed and melted around him as if she was returning home from a long trip on land.

If this wasn't love, what else could it be?

Zoro grabbed her ferociously and brought a kiss to her lips.

If he wasn't in love with her then who would he ever be in love with?

Nami nibbled at his shoulder as he lifted her the shirt away.

That look in her eyes before, surely she was in love with him too?

Coincidentally they'd both been wearing pants and so had to help the other out of the constricting fashion at the same time.

If not now, then surely someday, someday she would love him.

:o:o:o:o:o:

Zoro rolled over and opened his eyes just a little before quickly turning back on his side again. Sleepy eyes closed tight against the harmful light of Nami's lamp.

She'd woken up one or two hours later, as customary, but instead of waking him up to continue the navigator had left the bed behind and taken to her books.

Nami glanced up at him with a smile and cooed that he should go back to sleep.

"Mmr…." Was his groggy answer as Zoro's eyes adjusted to the light.

There she was, sitting in the warm orange light at her desk, pouring over a ridiculously sized book, wearing nothing but his white shirt.

Oh he did love her.

Zoro left the bed indifferently and came to stand behind her.

"I was right." She said after a moment.

"About what?"

"Jing." She stated in an; 'isn't it obvious' kind of manner as she turned in the chair to look up at the man towering over her. "It _was _Chinese." She returned to the study material. "It means crystal."

"Great." His voice was _stuffed_ with enthusiasm.

"But—" She gave his stomach a sharp smack with the back of her hand "—there aren't any islands relating to it. Not on these maps or mine, anyway."

Zoro stole her other hand from its workplace and brought it up to kiss the back of it.

Nami turned in her seat as he began to trail little peaks of affection down her wrist, then her arm, and very so slowly up her shoulder.

He did love her.

By this time she'd allowed him to lift her from the table side study and bring her back to bed.

He loved her.

The hurricane cycle of the passion game began again as intermission ended and the second act's players took the stage.

'I love her.'

She was putty in his hands, so small, delicate, and beautiful yet fierce and wonderful.

"I love you." Before the swordsman new what was happening he had whispered out these dangerous words. Regret and silent worry flooded him for a moment before Zoro smote the thought of rejection away.

The play had passed its final scene and they were only laying in each other's arms now, Nami beneath him and her eyes already closing with sleep. She made no response, no gesture, not even a small sign that she had heard him.

'She's asleep.' He thought while giving her pale skin one last stroke and moving over so as not to crush the woman.

'That's fine. It's better she didn't hear it tonight.' Zoro concluded, once again comfortable with the pace of their life, as he settled his head down between her shoulder and the pillow and fell away from the conscious world.

But Nami wasn't asleep. She had heard him clearly. Those fatal words he'd breathed into her hair as his fingers skittered over her skin.

It was too much, too sudden, too surprising, too impossible. So Nami returned for the moment to her powerful habit of acting and fooled the man. Lulling him into the false security and thinking that his mistake had gone unheard.

He'd said it. He'd said those impossible words, and everything in Nami was telling her to run. Get away from this complicated thing, away from the danger of this growing bondage.

'Why?' She wondered, tears of bitter distain for the situation and for her cruel thoughts burning in Nami's eyes as she brought her arms tight around her sleeping swordsman.

:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:

The next morning when Zoro woke to the lazy morning light the first thing he noticed was Nami's absence. Thinking with a small smirk that she must be fetching breakfast, he sank back into the pillow to wait for her.

However, she did not return to the room.

Noon came and Zoro eventually realized that she had no intentions of bringing him breakfast.

Hungry, and slightly singed, the man left his lover's bed in hopes of catching lunch with his crew before all the food disappeared.

Luckily the meal wasn't quiet past the preparation stage so he simply sat down in the galley with his friends and waited a few minutes longer. Nami wasn't here either.

"Nami? She's outside." Luffy answered to his nonchalant inquiry in an equally nonchalant way.

"Well bring her inside." Sanji ordered as he set down a plate of food, a bad choice because the moment lunch was served Luffy's attention on the matter disappeared.

In the end no one needed to go fetch the woman, not a minute later she came in on her own, looking quite flushed from the heavy ocean breeze and sunlight. Her hair was jostled around, her cloths were wrinkled and array, and a faint glaze of ocean salt clung everywhere.

Zoro looked up as she entered, hoping to see anything unusual in her expression, but she wouldn't meet his gaze. The breezed navigator cast her eyes down and sat away from him, though it _was_ the only seat open. He tried not to take it too hard to heart, she may have been exhausted and certainly looked it.

Later he tried to approach her and she avoided him with a smile and a bright excuse.

'She must have heard.' He growled to himself, knowing that her behavior could only be explained by the fact that his confession had frightened her away.

Was he so revolting? Was the thought of being loved by such a person as him so disgusting to her even after all they'd done together? Zoro knew it meant more to her than nothing, it had to.

But then again, this was an addiction after all. Something that you crave and crave as if it's necessary for your survival and yet when questioned about it are too ashamed to admit to having anything to do with it.

Each time Nami tore away from his advances his blood boiled one degree higher. This mallicous pattern of approaching and retreating continued until he thought he just might explode.

Zoro was about to confront her, drive her to say what was on her mind and keeping her from him. He'd followed her to the one place he knew no one else would follow: her orange grove. His footsteps had intentally fallen loudy, ensuring that she knew he was behind her. Even so, as Nami came to the end of her escape space she still didn't turn around, refusing to acknowledge him.

The swordsman was about to speak his mind but his intended interrogation was interrupted by a loud crack of wood and the thunder of gunpowder.

The whole ship shook as the blast took its toal, sending the Going Merry's crew sprawling to the ground or into the walls.

"EH?!"

The six pirates ran to the side of the ship that had been damaged; naps, hobbies, and arguments were forgotten.

"What the hell was that?!" "Did we hit something?" "No dumbass, something hit us!"

"There!" Nami pointed at a pair of sails not five leagues away.

"Bastards, blowing up my ship!!" Usopp growled angrily as he shook his slingshot at the distant vessel. "I'll shoot you out of the waters! I'll turn ya to splinters! I'll…I'll...ah…" Slowly, from behind the lone ship peeked out an armada's worth of deep navy-blue sails.

"Marines?" Zoro glared out at them, a hand already gripping for his sword. He wouldn't be caught by surprise this time.

Luffy began to grin from ear to ear and his crew groaned when they heard him chuckle.

Sanji lit up a smoke, then turned calmly towards Nami. "Nami, go to your quarters."

"What?" Her eyes bulged in surprise and her grip slipped on the assembling Clima Tact.

"Last time they took you and the swordsman. They might be after you again." He said it all so strongly, as if he didn't care.

"But I can fight!" She protested in disbelief.

"It's better, if we don't give them a chance to take what they want." But as his eye turned to her and gave her a pleading gaze Nami knew the chef wasn't trying to be cruel.

"Sanji!" But he'd turned away from her, his eyes focused now on the approaching fleet.

"Luffy!" The orange haired navigator turned to her captain in a desperate gesture. The rest of the boys remained silent.

The strawhated man kept his stare out at the sea and said nothing.

Luffy's silence seemed to be a testimony to whose side he was on, and Nami hung her head dejectedly as she turned to oblige Sanji's request. Not a moment later she felt a hand on the back of her head, giving her fiery orange hair a small pat.

"Nami. Feelin' anything?" The boy's eyes was still fixed on the ships ahead.

"Huh?"

"If you do, we'll need you up here." Luffy turned to grin at her. "Nobody can predict a storm like you. Besides, you're our backup!."

Nami smiled though a small sigh of relief before taking a more serious battle ready stance.

While this touching moment transpired the marines were organizing themselves.

"Sir, the SS Tanker is prepared for attack. But…are you sure you only want to send that ship?"

A heavy smirk of pride showed on the face of the Captain. "Why else would you make a new toy, if not to play with it?"

The rest of the ships held back, and it was that original attacker which charged forward.

"Eh? Just one?"

"Tsh."

"WOAH! T-that's a metal ship!" Usopp cried out, eyes wide in wonder and surprise, his crew could see, after he lifted up his goggles.

"…You mean it's coated in metal." Nami objected.

:o:

The battle ready navy ship, nearly twice the size of the Going Merry, pulled up along side the smaller ship. There were no cannons visible on this particular side.

"Remember men, we're trying to take as many of them alive as possible. However, if it comes down to it…spare the navigator and the Captain." He paused in his pacing and turned towards the line of marines. "Everyone else is expendable."

"Excuse me sir, but if we want them alive why not gas them?"

The Major turned a hard eye on the speaker. "You're saying you don't want to die for your government?"

"N-no, I'm just saying that these are an extremely dangerous band of pirates that shouldn't be taken lightly. Sir."

But the Major walked over to glass window of his iron helm. "I'd like to think that my crew are braver than Captain How's division on Sulok Island. Am I wrong?"

"No Sir…" The marine lowered his head and gripped the pistol at his side. This was suicide.

:o:

The crew of six leaned back to see the top of the iron ship just in time to watch as dozens of marines boarded the Going Merry from above.

Right away the boys and Nami fell into action. Chopper changed quickly into his most human form, Luffy wound up an arm and launched it at the oncoming rain of people, Sanji prepared a deadly kick, Nami held fast to her Clima Tact, and Usopp shot a smoke bomb up into the air.

Zoro, however, wasn't quite so patient. He drew his swords and kicked off to slice his way through the air and eventually onto the bow of the intruding ship.

Nami saw this and scowled in his direction before having to defend herself against an attacker wielding an oddly shaped machete.

:o:o:

From his place in the high surveying tower Captain How watched the battle unfold. The single boarder on his ship was more than he could have hopped for. 'Good…very good. This can end more quickly than I expected.'

When he thought enough lives had been wasted to seem convincible, he ordered a retreat.

:o:o:

"RETEAT! Return to the ship, that's an order!"

What was left of the comparatively pathetic marines abandoned their fights and climbed back up onto the Tanker by means of the ropes they'd swung down with.

"Wait!" Luffy stretched a long arm up to try and reach one but his hand was bounced way by an undamaging bullet.

"Zoro! Come back!" Chopper yelled up to their solo-flying companion.

The swordsman, currently surrounded by opponents and drunken on battle fever and his own frustration, didn't pay attention to his furry friend's plea. Instead, when the government cronies began to pour down the stairs into the safe hold of their strange ship he charged after them.

"Fucking cowards!" Down he went, followed at least two flights of stairs, until he found himself in an uncomfortably box-like room.

:o:o:

"What now sir?" A black haired man asked as he ran into the Captain's strategy room.

"Now? Now we wait for the rest of those filthy pirates to come and rescue their crewmate." The captain answered in a maliciously stagnant tone.

:o:o:

"…Where is he?" Usopp asked anxiously.

"D-d-do you think he heard me?" Chopper asked as he snapped back into his casual size, turning his head from side to side to silently question each of his companions.

:o:o:

Minutes ticked by. Nothing changed, neither side made an advance, and How's eyebrow began to twitch unhappily.

"I don't think they're comin' to save him Sir."

"…So it would seem." He admitted through his teeth. "Harkley!" The Captain bellow to his left.

"Yes?"

"It's time to move on to plan B."

"Y-yes sir…" The man looked a bit unsure but wasn't willing to disobey orders. Into a megaphone he gave an announcement that ran throughout the metal helm and quarters of ever man aboard. "Everyone to the launch deck, now commencing formation B! I repeat, everyone to the launch deck."

:o:o:

"Launch deck?" Zoro scowled up at the noisy projector snail. The walls of the box had been small work and he was now running wild through the halls of his captor's Ship. It was a large thing for sure, but completely metal, he concluded, for it was much easier to hear the hundreds of feet that stampeded in the direction he'd been charging away from.

Things were becoming suspicious.

To make matters worse there seemed to be a leak in this strange ship. Water was already up to his toes and still coming in rapidly.

Zoro saw a small window a few paces ahead and ran to look out it. He knew this had to be something like the bottom floor; so seeing the submerged bottom of the Going Merry came as no surprise. No, the surprise came when he saw that for some reason the ship seemed to be floating up and out of the water. Up…ships don't float up…

The swordsman eyes widened. The Going Merry wasn't floating.

"CRAZY BASTADS!!" He growled menacingly as he turned around and bolted back towards the exit.

Unfortunately, with his sense of direction Zoro never found the exit. Though he did manage to return to the launch pad just in time to watch the last of the marines waving at him from inside a strange metal and glass contraption before being shot away from the sinking ship and across the water toward the safety of the armada.

Without that machine blocking the launch doors more water came gushing. Already the unwanted ocean had risen to his knees. "Shit…."

The swordsman was just about to jump out and swim to the Going Merry when a slimy hand tried to grab him from behind. That slimy hand was quickly driven away by the deadly swipe of Zoro's sword.

He turned and saw a slug-like merman behind him.

:o:

"That shitty swordsman, did he get captured?" Sanji wondered as he kicked a dead body overboard.

A gasp from Nami made all the boys turn towards her, only to turn back around as they followed the trembling finger she jabbed at the Tanker. "The ship is sinking!! The ship is sinking!!!"

The whole crew started to yell then. It was a messy jumble of warnings and callings directed at their green haired companion. When no response came and the metal ship had sunk a dangerous amount Nami turned to Sanji. "Go help him!" Her eyes pleaded at him again and the cook was surprised to see how much more desperation was in them than in her previous appeal to fight alongside the boys.

When the man did nothing but stare at her she glared in his direction before running off with the idea that she would dive into the water herself.

A gentle rubber hand grabbed her arm to stop the orange haired woman's attempt. As she skidded to a stop Sanji ran past her and dove into the water in her place. It was never his intention not to go, the look in Nami's eyes had just startled him, that was all.

Exactly four minutes had passed since Sanji disappeared into the water. Nami knew it was four because she'd counted each anxious second. Holding her back was becoming harder and harder for Luffy to do as she unintentionally struggled forward, wanting to make herself useful.

Four hundred and fifty-eight, four hundred and fifty nine. Five minutes. Five minutes and still no sign of the man she'd come to know she couldn't live without. The man she'd wanted to push away.

It wasn't her choice anymore. There would be no more late nights, no more sneaking or hiding or waking up in the middle of the night to the sleeping face of her lover.

All day she'd been preparing for these facts but Nami could have expected them to come around in such an abrupt and cruel way.

She'd never see or feel that body again, without a body there was no Zoro, with no Zoro…with no Zoro...

Nami crumbled as Chopper came to see what was causing her shaking, sending the doctor into a worried fit.

With no Zoro, there was no reason for this love!

Suddenly the sound of two grown men gasping to fill their deprived lungs entered her ears and Nami felt the tumbling chaos of her dying world come to a quiet.

Usopp and Luffy brought Sanji and Zoro up on deck where they forced a good minute's worth of oxygen into their hungry lungs. It was the long pursuit through the halls of the sinking Tanker that had kept them. After Sanji joined Zoro the merman kept leading them further and further from the launch deck.

Once they were good and lost the fish-like creature escaped them through a trick door and the men knew they'd been fooled. After that, the merman had somehow taken control of the ship as if it were a submarine and drove it deeper into the ever-darkening waters. Not wanting to waste more time, Zoro cut strait through the hull and the rest of the time was lost to their swimming vigorously towards the air.

:o:o:

"…Well…that didn't go quite as expected." A particularly brave young man in the marine's escape pod commented as they watched the intended trap propelling away to the rendezvous point while it's quarry escaped and swam back to the surface.

:o:o:

While Sanji and Zoro were safely re-boarded and recovering Nami forced herself into navigator mode. Her expert eyes picking up on a means of escape less than a mile north of their current position. After catching the current she guided the ship into a thick fog that had reared it's ugly by usefully head, leaving the threatening armada behind. "That'll keep us away from them, at least for a little while."

Chopper and Zoro had been excused from ship-managing duties while the small animal checked the man over. Now Nami entered the examination room and said in a quiet voice: "Chopper, Sanji wants you."

"AH?! Was he hurt?!" The doctor asked with wide eyes as he grabbed a hoof-full of supplies and bolted from the room.

When he was gone Nami flung herself at Zoro.

Nami ran to him, nearly knocking the strong man over with her enthusiasm. She wrapped her arms tightly around his chest and buried her head in him. Before the young woman could speak full words or sentences a few broken cries and gasps held dominance over her throat but when that was done with she held him more desperately and uttered "I thought you were going to die! I thought—" She sniffled and grabbed fists full of his shirt. "—I thought you drowned.... I thought..." she nuzzled him greedily with her head against his shoulder, hands wandering as sporadically as her emotions.

"I love you." She finally whispered, almost too frozen in her own personal resolve to look up hopefully for his reaction.

Except that there was no reaction. Zoro just stared right through her as though she were a worn sheet riddled wit holes.

"…don't look at me that way." Nami's sadness began to corrupt into annoyance, her voice tinted with fear. "Don't look at me like I'm the first one to say it."

"Oh?"

"You said it first! You started this." Those eyes were pissing her off when only moments ago they were all she needed to be content.

Those same eyes were suddenly mere centimeters away as he grabbed her wrists and came in close and threatening. "And how long until I get to hear that from you again? Then next time my life is in danger?"

"That's not fair." She hissed angrily back at him, her tears becoming little testimonies to her growing furry. "Why does it matter how I found out just so long as I did?"

"I asked when we started if you were afraid, you said no." Zoro's voice was gritty as it came out through the filter of his teeth and it hardly sounded like the same man who breathed his confession into her hair the night before. "But you were."

Nami tried to jerk his hands from her wrists and get away. "So what? Maybe I am scared but that's got _nothing_ to do with you."

"Doesn't it?!" He growled back, shaking her once as if to emphasize his distain for the thought.

"All my life I've couldn't let myself fall in love because it was dangerous, it was inconvenient and it just set me back! It was…too hard…too…" Her angry expression crumbled as Nami's head lightened.

She began to fall, and Zoro's mental injury was suddenly nothing. Forgetting his anger and hurt he caught the woman he loved in his arms.

She was pale…she was barely breathing.

"Breath." He commanded into her ear as he held her head and body tightly against his own.

His words filled her mind and Nami did as he said, taking in a huge gasp of the oxygen her lungs had become so deprived of. In the heat of the dark passion, in the wild uncertainly of waiting for the man she loved to resurface from the water, and in her nervousness Nami had slowly forgotten about life's necessities. She'd been taking in less and less air as each breath became shallower until the lack became too great and it all went to her head, dizzying her mind and blurring her senses.

For a good few minutes Zoro held her, suddenly feeling weak himself, suddenly wanting nothing more than to hold her forever.

"Stupid woman…"

Nami smiled a shaky grin over his shoulder as her limbs found their way around him once again.

Zoro lowered her head to kiss her, hands trembling slightly from the fear she'd driven into his heart in those last few seconds, and said clearly "I love you."

Their happy moment of recovery was not to last, however, as the sound of a small and furry companion screaming from the bottom of his lungs had them jumping out of their romantically inclined skins.


	10. Chopper Knows

I own nothing

Back when I started this fic I'd wanted to do a more personal scene with Nami and Chopper, and I'm glad that I finally got to write it.

:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o

"That'll keep us away from them, at least for a little while." Nami concluded as everyone was allowed to relax from his or her duties on deck. The fog was thick around them and the Navy was far from visible.

Looking around Nami realized that Zoro and Chopper had already excused themselves, no doubt into Chopper's study so the little doctor could work his magic.

Turning to the rest of the boys, Nami smiled and said with a kind of bounce in her anxious step: "If you don't mind." Before running off to 'help.'

When the last of her orange head disappeared, Luffy, Sanji and Usopp began to clean up from the fight. There were still a small handful of fallen navy-men lying scattered on deck and though it wasn't exactly an appealing job the Going Merry's crew set to work pushing them overboard.

The last one to be moved, however, suddenly sprung up and began yelling. "Stay back!! Stay away! Oh shit!"

His instantaneous revival scared Usopp a few feet up the mast as the shipwright screamed back with "S-s-s-stay away yourself!! Zombie!!"

Sanji gave a small 'Tsh' in his companion's direction before grabbing the man by the collar. "Why did you shits attack us?"

"I'll tell you nothing!" The man yelled into the cook's face, feeling proud and defiant even though he was aboard an enemy ship and _very_ overpowered.

"Why us?" Sanji raised his voice a bit.

"Die pirates!"

This banter continued for a few more minutes before anyone could get some information out of the man. By this time Chopper had joined them, and they were using the reindeer's medical knowledge to their advantage.

On the threat of a slow, painful, and seaweed flavored death the marine spilled out what he knew of Admiral How's ambitions, how the Straw Hats fit in with them, and why the Navy had attacked so suddenly.

"W-we're just a small division, a new one, but I _do_ know that he's looking for an island. And he thinks you lot will lead him there."

"Us?" Chopper asked the question everyone had on their mind.

"Y-yes…Apparently, you're the only ones who've ever been able to find the Island called Jing."

"Who told him that?" Sanji pressed.

"I-I have no idea! Like I said, we're pretty much at the bottom."

"What's on this island, then, that this shithead wants?"

The Marine paused, obviously struggling with himself. "Y-you should know! You've been there!"

"Meaning you don't." The chef said bluntly as he turned his back to the man. "That's fine…We have ways of making you talk. Chopper, go fetch _that_."

"Kay!" Chopper ran off towards his room again to retrieve a vial of faux poison. He felt a small sense of pride in his abilities when heard the captive begging for mercy and spilling more useful information.

When he came to a stop at the entrance to his room he paused before opening it, sure he'd heard angry voices inside.

"Stupid woman…"

'Zoro!' He peaked around the loosely closed door and what he saw and heard shocked the little doctor halfway home.

'Z-Zoro and Nami…' He was suffocating her!!

"I love you."

'Love…you…' That was when he screamed. Unable to stop the spinning confusion in his head it was the only thing Chopper could think to do.

At the sound of his scream the lovers looked up and quickly jumped apart; Zoro to the back of the room and Nami forward to clasp a hand over the small reindeer's mouth.

"Chopper, are you alright?!"

"Oi, What happened?!"

"Nami, did something happen?"

These three questions mingled together incoherently as the boys came tumbling down the stairs to investigate the scream.

"A-ah! It's fine, this moron fainted and it surprised Chopper." Nami laughed off her excuse, her hand clamped over the doctor's mouth so he couldn't get a single word out, as she closed the door in Usopp, Luffy, and Sanji's faces. "Don't worry! Everything'll be under control in just a minute!"

Once they were safely inside the now locked room Nami released the traumatized reindeer.

Chopper just stared at her with wide eyes, stuttering and stumbling over his words as he tried to ask what was going on.

Nami sighed and knelt down to the little guy's level. "Chopper." Her voice was sweet while she tried to calm the boy.

He continued to stare with wide, almost frightened eyes.

"Chopper." She said his name a bit more firmly, as if reaching for his attention.

"Listen, please. It's very important that you don't tell anybody what you saw. Alright?"

"W-w-why? Zoro was—Zoro was!" He pointed a trembling hoof back at the greenhaired man.

"Zoro didn't do anything wrong. Neither did I." Nami put a hand on Chopper's shoulder, making him flinch slightly before becoming very still.

"But it's a secret."

"From Sanji?"

"Yes."

"From Usopp?" The reindeer pressed.

"Yes."

Zoro scowled to the side in the background, not sure how to help.

"…From Luffy?"

"Yes."

Chopper cast his eyes downward.

"I don't understand." He mumbled quietly.

Before Nami could explain, Sanji called down "Nami! The fog's moving!"

"Coming!" She yelled back before turning a last time towards Chopper. "I'll explain it better tonight, but please don't tell anyone until then. If you still…don't understand, then we can't stop you from telling."

"…Alright."

"Good." She flashed a smile at the reindeer before running back to her navigator duties.

After climbing back up onto the deck the first thing Nami noticed was the tied up marine sitting against the mast. "Eh? Who's this?"

"Some idiot who got left for dead." Sanji answered before the man could.

"Oh." And her interest in the matter was over.

"Don't 'oh!' At least say, poor thing!!!!" The marine growled in her direction as Nami walked toward the bow of the ship.

Once there she found Sanji at her side again. "He told us some interesting things."

"What did he say?"

While Nami tended to the ship and its position Sanji told her all the information the abandoned marine spilled to them.

:o:o:o:o:

"So that's why they wanted to know about it…" She responded thoughtfully during a small break. The two sat against the rim of the Going Merry, Sanji's Hot-Chocolate-Special in their hands. The fog was still around them and so they'd wandered blindly into a winter climate.

"Ah. Apparently Jing isn't the real name, only someone seeking the legendary treasure on the island would know it by that name."

"Which explains why it wasn't in any of my log maps or those from the library. And the Navy doesn't know the real name either?"

"No." Sanji stared into his mostly drained cup but looked up again when Nami called his name sweetly.

"Sanji, did he happen to say what kind of treasure was hidden on this mystery island?"

The cook could already see the Beli signs in her eyes.

"He didn't know exactly, but it had to do with the value of the crystals."

Nami sighed slightly as a bit of her enthusiasm slipped away. "Crystals are nice…but gold is better. Ah! But, diamonds are a kind of crystal." And it was back. "And if the Navy wants it…" It was growing. "it has to be something worth stealing!" It was decided.

"Sanji." Nami turned to the blonde man with determination coursing through her greedy veins. "Did he say anything else?"

"All they know about this island's location is that it was near the western sector of North Blue."

"North blue? That's about…a month from here." The woman cast her eyes thoughtfully down into her cup before sipping down the rest of the molten chocolate liquid. "About that marine, let's set him loose on the next island we find."

"Hm? Why?"

She smiled deviously. "He can tell that dumbass Captain of his that we don't know where it is either. If the Navy leaves us alone we'll definitely find it faster than them."

"Ah! Brilliant, Nami-swan!"

The navigator checked her log pose—they were still headed towards the next island—before nearly jumping out of her skin when she felt two slim arms come around her shoulders from behind.

"Forgive me, if I seemed cruel earlier. I did not mean to doubt your abilities." The mildly afflicted man chuckled into her hair. "You held up your own quite well…you don't needs us to protect you anymore."

"Sanji…" The woman caught a hint of sadness in his voice as she realized the unconscious blow she'd dealt him.

"That's not true, I could never survive this trip without you guys. Sure I can fight against worthless marines and normal humans and even take on lower ranking Devil Fruit users, but I—" "Don't worry. I didn't mean to sound so depressing."

Sanji released her and went to scoop up the empty coffee mugs that sat side by side before heading off towards his kitchen. As a second thought he called over his shoulder "Oi, Nami. Get some rest before dinner, we've probably left those Navy bastards behind in the dust by now."

"Ah. I will." Nami flashed a smile stuffed full of false happiness at him, waving until he'd disappeared from sight, then sighed. If she couldn't make Chopper understand about this secret…she wasn't sure what she would do about Sanji.

:o:o:o:o:

Dinner that night was noisy and gay as the band of family celebrated a successful—if not slightly gimpy—battle, Zoro's safe return, and Nami's proposal of a new adventure.

"It'll set us back two months or more, since we have to leave the Grand Line, but we'll be right back on track after this. That alright, Pirate King?" She asked with a wide and charming smile.

Luffy gave her an ecstatic grin and an enthusiastic thumbs up. "Yosh!"

Chopper was the only one who seemed quiet, and although no one questioned him about it Nami felt she would have to take matters into her own hands soon.

She and the swordsman were sitting side by side, nothing too suspicious or out of the ordinary. No one could see that their hands were entwined beneath the table.

Nami gave that large hand one last squeeze before standing up and ushering Chopper outside on the premise that he "looked like he needed some fresh air", to which all the others heartily agreed.

Once out of ear-range of their companions Nami sat down with her legs swinging over the side of the ship, then reached over for Chopper and pulled him into her lap. She said nothing as she rested her head on his hat, choosing to ignore his squirms of discomfort.

Thick clouds of their breath drifted slowly into the chilled atmosphere and the crisp, clear night seemed perfect for confessions. They'd left the fog behind a while ago, keeping to the Log Pose's directions so as to have the next course set after they return from the Crystal adventure.

"Chopper, you know what love is." It was not a question but a statement.

"O-of course…"

"You know I love you, and Sanji, Usopp and Luffy…Nojiko and Bellemere." Nami continued to stare out from her comfortable position. "Who do you love?"

"M-m-me?" The small reindeer jerked slightly before calming down, his little arms pressing down on his knees. "Y-you…Sanji, Usopp, Z-Zoro...Luffy. Doctorine…Doctor." He sniffled a bit and she gave his head a small pet.

"Do you know what 'in love' is?" Nami asked after a small pause.

"In love?" He asked, quite sure he'd never heard the term before.

"Yup." She pulled the small reindeer closer as if he were her own personal teddy bear. "In love."

"I…don't know." Chopper admitted grudgingly, though still very curious.

Nami laughed a little. "I wonder if I do."

"Huh?"

"N-nothing. Ne, Chopper. Remember this: In love is stronger than love. Sometimes…sometimes it doesn't last forever like 'love' does, but 'in love' can make you stronger than just loving."

"Stronger…" He repeated, and after a moment of thought added "In love, is that…what you feel for Zoro?"

She tilted her head and answered truthful, her voice steady and her composure calm: "Yes."

"…You love him more than the rest of us…" He had that same sad voice as Sanji. Why where people talking to her in such a sad way today?

"Not more." Nami corrected quickly. "Just…differently."

:o:

The captive had been relocated to the storeroom and fed a small helping of dinner. He'd been tied so that he was still able to lie flat on his back and catch a minimally comfortable sleep. A blanket was also given to him. Chopper treated a wound on his arm and a small bump on his head and aside from those two minor injuries the marine seemed fine. With these small courtesies fulfilled the Straw Hats moved on to dinner and as the night wore on everyone eventually forgot about him.

'Pirates…' He grumbled to himself as he tried to block out the noise they were making. Even though it had recently quieted a tiny bit the party sounds were still keeping him from an already impossible sleep.

Little did he know that the reason the celebration's volume had lessened was because two of the partygoers decided to relocated to a more private meeting. A private, delicate, and quiet meeting.

:o:

Nami sat on her table waiting for Zoro to come in after making a small act of going to his own room. When he finally did come her heart started beating hard in her chest and she brought a hand up to lightly touch her face in an attempt to tell if she was visibly flushed.

Aside from his usual black pants he wore an open, deep green dress shirt. He looked a bit embarrassed, or maybe nervous, but either way that timidly smothering spice in his gaze was almost too much.

Nami, too, had changed cloths since leaving the party. Now she wore a sweetly cut blue dress that flumed out at the ends in a kind of loose tango tease.

Slowly Zoro approached her, almost clumsily reached up to run the back of his fingers against her cheek, then through her hair, across her collar and shoulder, then down her arm until he could clutch her hand. Their fingers laced together and both looked away from the other's eyes.

Somehow, even though nothing was left to be revealed or given, it felt like the first time, and both navigator and swordsman approached the situation gingerly.

Nami laughed almost sarcastically as she reached for his hand. "It's backwards." She forced herself to look up. "We're backwards."

The sparkle from the dim candlelight in her eyes made Zoro gulp, his cheeks turned a slightly pinker shade before he calmed himself enough to lean forward and answer. "Ah."

Nose against nose, hand in hand, candlelight flickering behind and around them as the sole illuminator of the room, the two stayed perfectly still for a countless amount of time and simply listened to the alternating ragged or soft breath of the other.

Seconds, minutes, hours, days and months became meaningless as they melted into one single existence with just those small touches.

Carefully they began to move, just a little inch, just a centimeter, a slow movement, a jerky movement, and then a kiss that seemed to fall together as though its pieces floated down from some higher place of perfection.

He scooped his arms in to hold up her back as he dipped them down so that Nami's hair almost brushed against the tabletop. For a small moment her arms hung loose before reaching up cling to his shoulders. She would let him guide them, set the pace, instigate the next endeavor.

When his legs became too shaky to stand Zoro lifted her off the table and brought her to the bed. Such a practiced routine and yet so foreign tonight.

He let her down gently, not disturbing the kiss they were currently locked in, then suddenly broke all contact.

A confused Nami brought her spinning head out of love's gutter to stare up at him questioningly. He stood above her, a few feet away from the bed, and seemed to simply be admiring her. Realizing that this was his intention, she twisted her body just a little to let it lie in a slightly more feminine and enticing way.

Black eyes traced down her figure, capturing ever detail, perfection and imperfection, and loving it all.

When his eyes had had their fill—and he could no longer ignore how her foot was brushing up and down against his leg—Zoro knelt down by the head of the bed as a knight might kneel before his princess.

Nami turned her head to meet his eyes and gave him a tiny smile. Her hand moved to touch him, her fingertip skipping lightly over his eyebrow, then his cheek, his lips, under his chin, down his neck, and across his collarbone.

Zoro smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead delicately.

With the small gesture completed, the swordsman let his head drift down to rest over her chest.

Nami's hand caressed down the back of his neck, teasing his spine, and it was more than Zoro could take. With a roar from their original flame he went for her neck with tooth and tongue and bite.

That lusting fire had changed, not dimmed, or brightened, or lessened, but now at the heart of it flickered the soft glow of love; giving it better heat, fueling it onward, deeper.

This was love, and this was making love.

:o:o:o:o:

The next day the Straw Hat Pirates arrived at the winter island. They docked at port only long enough to set the angry—blindfolded—marine down. Nami wasn't about to let them show their ship out in the open more than necessary, not knowing where the Navy fleet had ended up or how far away they were. Instead she brought them around to a different side of the glacier island and they all trekked out to an inland village via Chopper and a sleigh Usopp had constructed minutes before.

"Hmm, I wonder how Bandages is doing." Luffy asked to no one in particular about the marine he'd nicknamed spontaneously.

"I'm sure he's fine. Probably sitting in a warm bar right now. Lucky bastard…" Nami's answer started out as bright and cheerful but slowly her envy crept in until she had to hide her mouth behind her coat to smother the foul words.

Four of the six members sat in the cramped sleigh—Sanji had been left behind to guard the ship on the premise that they would pick up all the supplies he asked for and that when they returned he would have made a very hot and delicious lunch—but even the closeness and the many layers couldn't keep the chilling bite out of the woman's skin.

Zoro opened one eye to look down at the lover at his side, before giving an acted sign of annoyance as he draped the right half of his coat over her. It was too cold to remove the whole thing, and that would have been too suspicious, so it was all he could manage, but Nami smiled up at him thankfully.

Luffy laughed in her direction. "Poor Nami! Just not built for cold."

The woman turned her glare on him again and growled: "I don't see _you_ wearing shorts."

"Eh? Because you wouldn't let me leave without pants." The captain pointed at the pair of cargos Usopp lent him.

"Because it's freakin' cold!!"

By this time Usopp was laughing too and soon after that both boys received hard blows to the noggin.

:o:o:o:o:o:

After the chilled bunch re-boarded the Going Merry and took the time to sit down and defrost a little they all prepared to set sail. Soon the winter climate was far behind them and cloths were being shed left and right. Everyone seemed anxious to reach the far-away destination, though none of them could have predicted the kind of head-ach they were sailing willingly towards.


	11. Ironically tragic Duel

I own nothing

I tried to research North Blue and it seemed to have the least amount of information available which I why I picked it: insert devious snicker:

:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:

The weeks past by slow and lazy for everyone as the waves and the wind pushed the small ship along toward the unknown destination, though Nami and her growing worry about the location of Jing had the crew more than a little worried for _her_. Even as Nami poured over her reference materials of legend, lore, and local hum-di-do there were no significant clues that she or the boys could find connecting Jing, China, or crystals to any particular landmass in North Blue.

At the winter island she'd found a small library and exchanged the "borrowed" books for more specific volumes but it still left like she didn't have enough information. Something was missing, something was incomplete, or lying, or she just wasn't smart enough to figure it out. Sometimes it came down to a matter of Nami needing a hot cup of tea, a relaxing massage from the little doctor, and constant reassurance that her skills weren't the problem it was the books.

Even so, frustrating nights or days of research could not stain the satisfying and quiet meetings of the two lovers onboard the Going Merry.

After the hardly orthodox confessions of love both participants worried what those words would change for them. Would talking during the day become too embarrassing? Would it become too hard to withhold the desire to reach out and take their partners hand in plain sight of the crew? There was a great, unseen relief when the only discovered difference in Nami and Zoros' nighttime excursions seemed to be the frequent reminder of the other's deep affection. 'I love you' became not just a word of declaration but had transformed into terms of greetings, partings, and an occasional expression of thanks. It became something that was not thought upon with fear or worry, and as the days rolled by with the pace of the tides their love grew from a single bud into a vase's worth of florets.

One of these more entertaining nights was spent in a moonlight swim. Knowing that their companions would be sleeping soundly inside—thanks to one of Nami's old tricks—the swordsman and the navigator felt free to splash and play as much as they wanted in the warm, calm waters of North Blue.

It had taken some coaxing and convincing on Nami's part but Zoro eventually gave in to her whim as he always did. The proud man could no longer deny her anything except the occasional victory in a small dispute. Their love did not prevent the couple from fighting and competing as they always had but it certainly made it easier to settle them. Sometimes the end of an angry outburst came as easily as a kiss; though sometimes a slap, a foul word, then a second kiss would follow if Zoro was the one to try and silence her that way. If there was any violence between them the swordsman was careful never to be responsible for it. It was his deepest resolve never to hurt her with his inhuman strength. If she wanted to start a slapping fight he would grab her wrists and holder the orange-haired woman still until her calm overtook her frustration.

One of those violent nights had been provoked by a failed attempt that sank Nami's spirits beyond what tea could fix.

:o:

The whole crew was relaxing after dinner, each enjoying a slice of fruit pie made from the last of ship's fresh supply. Nami didn't seem to be enjoying herself as much as the boys, for her thoughtful mind was heavy with burdens, and it had nothing to do with the decrease in supplies.

With a small sigh she looked out at the familiar ocean, one pale hand playing with a crystal necklace she'd taken to wearing in hopes of inspiration. As her fingers traced over the indecisive surface of the polished rock her eyes stared out blankly at the calm but black waters. 'The ocean…huh?'

Suddenly an idea came to her, and Nami stood up so quickly that she sent her unfinished pie flying—to be caught in Luffy's waiting mouth—as she ran for her room. The boys exchanged a quick glance of shared concern dusted with anticipation and followed after her in a hurry, nearly toppled over themselves as they all tried to push though the galley door at once.

Across her desk Nami stretched a map of the surrounding islands out and was franticly drawing. Four heads timidly peaked over her shoulder to see what the strange woman was up to.

It was a hurried game of Connects the Dots as Nami drew lines between the islands, her pencil always headed northwest until there was no more west. When all the right lines seemed to be in place she pulled out a pen of deep red ink and began to search the paper with her eyes. The pen trembled anxiously in her hand as she searched and searched the marks for some recognizable pattern. She seemed to find what she was looking for and went about scribbling over the pencil marks with the deep red.

Nami looked up from her handy work with a proud smile as she chucked the spent pen away in a kind of victorious gesture.

On the map she'd drawn a crystal cluster, the kind that jutted up sharply from a rock's base, using islands as turn points.

"Now to find…" But her proud smile was not to last long. Again her eyes questioned the paper but this time found nothing.

"Nami, is everything alright?" Sanji asked as he ventured a closer look.

"…I thought, that if we found a crystal pattern, we'd find an island inside it."

"Oh! Amazi—" "It's not amazing because there isn't one!" She slammed a hand down onto the desk, upsetting a stack of books and the men around her.

"M-maybe try another kind of crystal?" "No, it won't work…" "P-p-perhaps a different ma—" "It won't work!!" Chopper ran to hide behind Zoro's leg and retire from his attempts to help.

"Oi, oi. Calm down." The tall man moved to put a hand on her shoulder but she smacked him away. Angry tears showed like small glitters in the lamplight as she ran from the room, trying to get away from the five innocent aggravations.

If this continued any longer she would fail them!

"Nami-swan!" Sanji immediately tried to take on the role of comforter but Zoro tugged on his shirt, holding him back easily.

"Let go, greenhaired idiot." The Love Cook growled back at him but Zoro didn't seem to care. He released his blonde friend and walked strait past him out the door. "OI! What makes you think you—" "I think he should go." Chopper piped up, finding courage again now that he had something important he could do.

"Hm?" Sanji raised an eyebrow at the small suggested, and Chopper suddenly blushed and continued to fight his case. "Those two are good at fighting! That is…I-I'm sure…he can say what she wants to hear."

"Ah. To piss her of worse." Usopp offered.

"Captain?" Sanji turned to the boy, hoping for some backup.

Luffy just shrugged as he looked up from the books. "If Chopper says so."

So it was decided, and the rest of the boys stayed tucked away in Nami's room until the noise on deck died down and they knew peace had returned.

:o:

Zoro calmly walked out of the room, keeping with his cool image, but his crewmates didn't see him run the rest of the way to Nami. He found her easily at the very head of the ship, her hands clenched and pressed into the salty wood of the Going Merry.

"Nami." He said her name sternly the first time but when he got no response he repeated the name in a softer tone.

"Go away." Her voice seemed empty; it was not the voice he knew.

"Oi!" The swordsman let out a grainy sigh of mild annoyance before placing his hands over her white knuckles, closing the distance between them as he pressed against her back and bent to touch her face with the side of his. There was a small moment where her angry fists protested, not getting very far under the overwhelming presence of his calloused hands, before she gave in and let his warmth spread in her.

Like a dancer at the end of a sad pas de deux Nami's head fell limply and cozily onto Zoro's shoulder so that her cheek was against his neck. Nami breathed deeply of the night air and the scent of steel.

"Better?" He asked her with a characteristic mumble into her orange hair.

Nami simply nodded and—knowing that the rest of the boys would be up on deck soon now that it was quiet—she turned and kissed him quickly, giving his cheek a small stroke before moving to a less dangerous distance.

As if on cue Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Sanji came scrambling back up onto deck.

Nami, with a new smile on her face and the glimmer of tears still clinging to her eyelashes announced that she was completely out of ideas, that she was sorry for failing them, and that if it was alright, when they went to restock on food she would ask around about this mystery island.

Each of the boys hung their heads—except Zoro who only turned his prideful back to the scene—and apologized for letting her think that way. Each assured her in his own way that she wasn't a failure but indeed the best navigator on the sea, and that maybe the Navy man's information was just crap. Maybe the maps were out of date, or too far into date.

The close crew returned to their previous mood and somehow a round of alcohol broke out so that as morning drew close the tension had been replaced by carefree excitement and merriment.

:o:o:o:o

"Mmmmmm! That feels good." Nami cried happily as she stretched her arms in the sunlight.

"Nami-swan! Wait for me!" Sanji called after her, anxious because his person was still aboard the ship while hers was already halfway down the boardwalk.

It was a small island, not much landmass, and what precious soil there was to be found had all been dedicated to farmland so that house and business had to be stacked high into the air and built out over the water on boards, bridges, and docks that made up the streets. Nevertheless, the city seemed prosperous: perhaps a great attraction for tourists. Lamps and paper lanterns accented each house and hung from all convenient places in a way that made a person long to witness the promising nighttime display.

Booths and corner-side RugShops seemed popular, lining most available walkways and streets as the venders tried to sell everything from jewelry to pets. Besides the Going Merry there were at least forty other ships—both pirate and benign—and because of the dense docking there was a heavy population. In short, Crane seemed like the perfect place for six wanted pirates to go incognito.

While the boys went their separate ways, entertaining themselves with their more specific interests, Nami spread her vacation time between the six joys of her life: the her five boys and the lonely island bookshops.

She'd spend a fun morning with Chopper, had a humorous lunch with Usopp, a nerve-racking but otherwise enjoyable afternoon with Luffy, and lastly a quiet early-evening with Sanji.

As the sun was setting Nami looked up from her latte and realized that she'd yet to find any useful information about the mysterious crystal island and felt the itching need to have at least one of her questions answered. The young navigator abandoned Sanji at the cafe table with a smile and a 'time to get back to work' as she dashed off in search of a very necessary item. Now all that was left for her to search were the back-ways and shady business, and places like that were better examined with someone like—"Zoro!"

The orange-haired woman called out happily as the spotted her swordsman coming out of a forge.

Zoro looked around the alley for suspiciously familiar persons before allowing her to clomp onto him, a small smile of his own hidden by her head as he lifted her slightly from the ground.

"Come with me." She spoke, her voice sounded orderly but her eyes sparkled with fun.

The man gave a soft sigh as he scratched at his head, wondering what she could possibly have in-store for him.

:o:o:

At least an hour of walking around in alleyways and questioning other questionable folk had already past though the couple had found nothing. Tired, thirsty, and fruitless they opted to indulge in what looked like a promising bar.

This promising bar turned out to be particularly fancy despite its outward appearance. To enter was like infiltrating a secret club, and once inside you would realize that although it's outside walls were humble and shabby inside it was luxurious and stylish. The liquor bar ran full length against the sidewall at the entrance, and opposite from it was a stage for performers. Between the entertainments and the refreshments there were many circular tables, each with a unique centerpiece and black tablecloths.

"It's a nightclub." Nami said as the observed her surroundings.

"Ah." Zoro commented as he eyed the place skeptically, not liking how all the other people in the so-called nightclub were either paired up in twos, threes, or in the middle of introducing themselves to another single. It had a seductive air that made him suspicious though Nami didn't seem to mind.

She slipped her hand out from his arm and headed straight for the liquor, ordering up two tankards of something he didn't quite catch the name of. With the drinks in hand she joined him again, leading him to a table close to a nice, cozy, dark corner. Dark corners are always rare in these places but they'd managed to snatch up the seats when one anxious couple excused themselves.

The notorious drinkers sat down and prepared for a festive evening of booze, not expecting that their night was about to get even more entertaining.

Everything from the clanking in the kitchen to the noisy conversations at the bar quieted to a hush, drinkers and minglers turned in their seats, some patrons stood against the walls, and all were facing the stage and its black satin curtain.

"Hm?" Nami lifted her nose from the mug to see what everyone was so curious about.

When all was quiet the lights dimmed down to an equally hushed deep blue and the tapestry parted as a young lady walked through them. She was tall, beautiful, and had curly brown hair cascading down to the middle her back. Every detail of her dress and hair seemed to frame her face, drawing subtle attention to the red lips and expertly painted eyes. Her mouth opened and out poured a sweet, sad song and everyone in the room seemed to lean forward.

Starlight doesn't know

what it does, to young lovers.

How could it know

What it brings…

It came from so very far away…

Mia's eyes had been closed but as she finished this piece she looked up, exposing the room to her brilliant blues.

Her long legs took a flashy but small step forward as she walked down the decorated stairs into the audience. The delicate train of her lacy dress following suit, and the rapture of her listeners increased as her voice rose.

The lights around her brightened to an orange-rose pink as the song's meaning became uplifting.

She approached Nami and Zoro's table, noticing that the swordsman was the only one who wasn't completely ensnared. Of course he was listening, quite intently actually, but he didn't want to look at the woman. He didn't want to be drawn into someone else's spell.

As the song ended Mia's voice carried on, drawing out the last note beautifully until the tune of her song and the music in the background dwindled away.

The soundlessly empty room filled again with the sound of cheers and claps and occasional snaps as the woman smiled at her "wonderful audience", allowing them a small wave as she retreated behind the delicate curtains.

"Wow…" Nami said wistfully, one hand still clutching her drink while other propped up her cheek.

"She was wonderful..." She turned her eyes to Zoro in a mildly mischievous way. "Right?"

"Ah."

The navigator tried to smack him across the head "Can't you say more then that?"

"M."

"Zoro!" She breathed an exasperated sign of distaste before turning her head away from him in a pout. "Well _I_ thought it was amazing."

"I'm glad you think so." Both pirates looked up as the sweet, womanly voice entered the conversation.

"Y-you're welcome! That was an amazing performance, you could make some real money off your talents!" Nami's eager eyes shone as she suggested it.

Mia just laughed and took a seat across from the lovers at their table, she snapped a finger and someone from the bar brought over three more drinks. "I don't care about the money." She reached for one of the fancy glasses and brought it to her lips. "I'm just happy to be able to sing to my heart's content. Here, on a street corner, on the radio, it doesn't matter."

She took a sip before her eyes flickered up to try and catch the swordsman's. "Doing what you love, that's what's most important, right?"

Zoro raised an eyebrow, then smirked and tipped his tankard to her. "Damn strait."

"Then, what is it you love to do, Ms. Mikan?" Mia had seen Zoro's swords earlier and easily guessed his desire but she couldn't figure out Nami's and her curiosity was pricked.

"Nami." She said proudly, picking up the glass with decorative fruit inside. "…and I'm a navigator. I draw maps. I grow oranges." Her smile grew charmingly. "I make money."

Mia chuckled, giving her drink a slight stir with the movement of her wrist. "Is that so? How wonderful. I never had a talent to draw or grow things. You were the one who navigated your crew here then?"

"Yes. Though we weren't aiming for this island specifically."

"Oh?" Some of her hair fell over her eyes, making her look even more mysterious. "What were you looking for then?"

Nami lowered her tone after taking a small sip, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible she answered; "Jing: an island whose nickname means crystal. The only problem is we've run out of leads since we haven't a clue what its real name is or what it's called today." Nami placed her martini on the table and looked to the woman across her with eyes that almost smoldered with both dedication and a quiet warning of 'this is hush-hush.'

"Do you know anything?"

"An interesting problem." Mia mused as she stared Nami strait in the eye. She wasn't about to toy with a woman that reminded her so closely of herself, though the idea of matching wits was formidable. "I wonder…have you heard of an island called Bilun. An island that shines as if it were covered in diamonds?"

Nami's eyebrows went up. "Yes! It was only glass though, wasn't it? From a great fire that was so hot it even burned the sand."

"Eh. But, either way, some people might still know it as a great crystal island…Or, a great treasure island. If you don't know the current-day name, perhaps your information came from a time when the knowledge of glass was not yet available?"

"Of course…"

Zoro glanced over and noticed the gears spinning in her brain.

"You really are amazing!" Nami looked up and took Mia's hands in her own. "Thank you!"

The singer smiled gently. "No need for such thanks." She gave Nami's hand a squeeze before standing up, her drink drained. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I have another song to sing. I hope you'll dance to it." Her blue eyes caught Zoro's again, asking him sincerely.

He sipped down the last of his rum—he'd stayed far away from the girlie beverages even though they were free—and exhaled. "Gees…"

As Mia took the stage again and began to sing it became obvious that it was not just a song to listen to.

The band behind her struck up a slow, sweet melody and her voice harmoniously joined in.

Will you see

How my eyes

Shine in the night

Will you see everything I have in me?

At first it was only a cluster of couples who rose from their seats as a hush fell once more. There was no designated dance floor but the mood didn't seem any less romantic as lovers and friends danced between the tables. For as wide a variety as there were pairs there was just as much diversity in the style of dances they all performed; each one to the rhythm of two by two, slowly moving to the love song but with individual flourishes stuck in here or there.

A bit reluctantly and with a small blush of discomfort in his cheeks Zoro rose to stand, taking Nami by the hand. More surprised than confused Nami stumbled a little as he stole her from her seat. The swordsman felt no need to venture any further out onto the floor than what they already had in their little corner, and wasn't quite sure what to do next, so the lovers stood still for a few quiet seconds before Nami took charge.

Nami smiled at him with loving sympathy as she re-arranged his hands, cupping the large fingers around her hips before letting her own arms come up around the tall man's neck. With a tilt of her head she motioned for him to move his feet, once, then behind, once to the side, then back to the beginning.

I'd forgotten…

What kind of life I'd lead before

It must have shallow, must have been rough.

It wasn't much, just a small movement of the feet so that you'd turn around and around in a circle. Simple. Zoro kept his eyes low, trying not to meet her gaze. Instead he studied the cling of her pants, drawing one rough thumb along the strip of flesh between the red shirt and denim cloth. He felt the response from his partner's fingers as they stoked against the side of his neck, traced his collarbone, or skittered over the bottom of his earlobe.

Each tiny touch was electric, powerful, and purposed. Every fresh step of the dance brought them unexplainably closer till their hips pressed together and rocked in unison with the melody.

Ignorant to the world they spun around and around as the gentle tune of the song lulled them into a strange vortex of comfort. Was this what it was like? Being a regular couple? Living without hiding? Explaining to everyone might not be such a bad idea if they could go on like this everyday. It wasn't as if their secrecy was a matter of life and death. They were doing nothing wrong. There was no one to apologize to. Nothing to apologize for.

In the night our love's romancing

Through the storms of our life…we'll go on dancing.

When the song ended a few couples remained as though entranced, unable to breakaway from each other. Nami and Zoro were one of those couples. A kiss would be too much in this open place, but it was so hard to resist.

The young navigator tilted her head up to him expectantly and it was all he could do not to fulfill her wishes.

"We should go…" She whispered, lowing her forehead to his collar when she finally realized the music had stopped.

"Yeah…"

With their drinks already paid for the pirate couple deserted the dark corner so that some other young couple could occupy it and headed back to the Going Merry.

Night had settled in long ago and now, eager with want and information, Zoro and Nami rushed back to the ship.

As they navigated their way through the busy port Nami saw that her expectations of the town's night time beauty was correct. All the lanterns and lights were aflame and shone brightly against the blue darkness of early evening.

Unfortunately there wasn't much time to admire the sight as they ran through it to the trusty ship.

Once onboard, Nami rushed to tell the others of Mia's tip. Luffy prompted for setting sail that very night and no one was less eager to find this elusive place.

Now that she had a name it was a piece of cake for Nami to navigate her way there. "We'll arrive in two days."

A rope was thrown, anchor pulled, the rudder locked in place and the sails set free into wind as the Going Merry escape from port into the ocean currents of North Blue. Soon there was nothing the crew could do but wait for the elements of the sea to bring them to where they wanted to go and the friends all retired to bed or to other personal hobbies.

"Good night everyone."

"Night."

"Might as well turn in."

The swordsman and the navigator exchanged anxious but subtle glances as they recognized their cue. The clenching want in their bellies was almost too much, any further delay and they might have tackled each other then are there. "I'll go read up on Bilung" was her excuse and Zoro simply excused himself silently as they seemed to head off in separate directions.

Before Nami could count the length of a full minute he was with her again, grabbing her in the doorway of her room and kissing her feircely.

Without breaking away from his lips, as if she could have, the orange haired woman hooked a finger through his shirt and tried to pull him inside.

It was hardly a surprised that he oblidged her, letting the petite navigator guide him blindly forward. With an uncertain hand Zoro reached behind him for the handle of the door, closing it tightly as they stumbled forward.

Though her navigating skills were impectable when it came to ships and sailing Nami misjudged the distance from her door to her bed and the two ended up beneath her window instead.

'Suits me just fine.' He thought gruffly as he grabbed her hips and held her against the carefully smoothed wooden wall.

Nami gasped in surprised at the sudden change in her distance from the ground and as the presence of a very active 'member' became overbearingly noticeable, though it wasn't a gasp of fear or insult but of pleasure.

She knew Zoro would never drop her, even if falling from a height like this would earn her a sore bottom at most. This in mind she forced her hands from his rippled body and held them loose above her head, allowing him full range to explore as he pleased while she caught her breath.

A smirk crossed the swordsman's face as he dove.

o:o:o:

"Ne…those two are really late…" Luffy whined the next morning, his head on the table like a dejected dog.

Sanji was refusing to serve a "very special breakfast of love" until Nami came up to eat. It was perfect: eggs in the shape of little islands, pancakes with jam drawn to look like helms, and crystal clear fruit juice. The only problem was that Nami had yet to make her morning appearance.

Stomachs growled and complaints where high so the cook finally gave in, saying; "Fine! I'll go wake her myself then…buncha' shitheads" as he skipped off down the hall. None of three remaining the galley believed that he considered this task a great inconvenience.

No one found Zoro's absence particularly suspicious, they all assumed he was napping up on the crow's nest.

Without thinking Sanji opened the door to Nami's room, hoping to catch a glimpse of her sleeping face in the soft morning sunlight. Before he had the chance to declare that 'breakfast was served' his eyes discovered something that would choke his voice.

'…Nami…swam…'

The beautiful navigator wasn't alone. As he'd hoped Sanji got to see her smiling, sleeping face but he could also clearly see the green head of hair that lay behind her, the arms that encircled her naked shoulders, and the large hands that held her small fingers.

Sanji closed the door again with a steady hand before knocked loudly, hoping she couldn't hear the trembling in his wrist. "Nami! Time for breakfast!"

He heard a barely noticeable stumbling of feet as someone jumped from the bed while Nami answered him in a sleepy and slightly shaken voice "Thanks, Sanji!"

The Love Cook cast his eyes down as he pivoted on his foot, heading back towards the galley. Halfway there he stumbled, nearly knocking the side of his head into the wooden walls. "Shit…"

:o:o:o:

Breakfast went as smoothly as it would have on any morning. Sanji tucked away the feelings of his swirling, chaotic world and was able to serve everyone with his usual smile. He did, however, avoid Nami's eyes and refused to speak to Zoro. The later wasn't terribly unusual so no one suspected anything.

The rest of the day coursed along peacefully and all seemed well until the cook and the swordsman bumped shoulders on deck.

"Oi! Watch where you're going, shittyswordsman." Sanji grumbled, his hands clenching at his sides.

"Eh? Pickin' a fight curly?"

Sanji chuckled in the way that desperate men laugh in the face of their pain. "Maybe."

"Oh? How about it then." Zoro smirked, knowing he could always count on Sanji for a good scrimmage when there was nothing else to do.

"Yeah, how a-fucking-bout it!" Instead of kicking at him as Sanji always would have the man landed a heavy punch on Zoro's jaw, sending him flying for a few steps before Zoro could stumble back into a stance.

"What the hell?" He tried to wipe the blood from his lip but quickly discovered that he had more important things to concentrate on as he dodged Sanji's next round of furry filled blows.

"OI! What's wrong with you? Sanji!" Realizing that the chef was fighting for real, Zoro rotated his blades so a hit on Sanji wouldn't mean bloodshed.

"What's wrong with _you! _Piece of no good--…Using Nami like that!"

"Like wh-…oh shit…" It was all suddenly too clear what had happened. In their neediness they'd forgotten to lock the door last night. "Shit…"

Nami was the first one the scene, propelling gingerly from her look out perch in crow's nest. "Hey! You guys! HEY! Sanji?!" Blow after blow they dealt each other and still she had no idea what had provoked it. "Zoro! Stop it!"

"What do you mean using, idiot!" Zoro asked as he held back Sanji's leg with his sword and the duelers stood in a temporary standstill.

"Don't play coy, you both smelled of liquor, it was obvious! It would have been all too easy for you with Nami in that happy mood and tipsy!" A grunt was shared between them as opposing fists collided.

"Even if she consented you should have known better! Someone like you who's never even been in love before, how do you know how to treat her? Take care of her?"

Sanji's black panted leg shot forward, attacking with what he confidently assumed would be finishing blow to Zoro's weakest point only to be blocked and have to roll away from the strike of Zoro's sword. "Shut up!"

The lion's anger had been provoked passed a point that Zoro could withhold.

"Ya' think you'd be better?" He growled as he lifted the sword out of the wood.

"Both of you shut up!" Nami screamed from the sidelines as she ran in to try and knock some sense into the boys. Angry tears were in her eyes from the insult of their precocious words and the worry that they might actually kill each other if she didn't stop them.

"Hey? You guys!" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper had all been drawn to the scene as well and none of them could make out what was happening or why.

"Moss-haired idiot!"

"Selfish shithead!" Both fighters readied for another attack but neither was prepared what happened. As Zoro drew his katana back and Sanji kicked forward Nami was caught in the wind up. She'd come up behind Zoro and before she knew it had taken a blow from Shuusui's hard golden hilt to her stomach.

Everything went quiet as Nami drew in a pained gasp, trying to refill her emptied lungs.

Sanji's visible eye widening, and the feeling like he'd hit something was Zoro's first clue about the situation.

Around him his companions were yelling and screaming but it was all a buzz in his ears. Chopper was called for a doctor, Sanji collapsed, Luffy was spewing nonsense, and Usopp looked as though he'd been frozen in place.

Zoro dreaded what he would find when he turned his head. Surely the blade hadn't cut anything? It wasn't dripping blood... In his world everything came to a gradual halt, the things around him moved as slowly as individual grains of sand in an hourglass.

This was it. This was the epitome of all his newfound fears.

When he saw the pain on his lover's face the swordsman could no longer hear, it wasn't just a buzz it was silence. He couldn't speak or breathe and as Nami recoiled to cough up a mouthful of blood all he could do was watch while she fell sprawling to the ground.

Usopp recovered first, running calmly to lift the petite woman from the deck while Chopper followed close by his side, trying to asses the damage, and Luffy went ahead to open the doors.

The two duelers were left alone, still frozen, still processing. A few seconds ticked by before Sanji rose from where he'd collapsed, walking passed Zoro as if the man were nothing but a whisper of wind, but the green haired man stood still, legs locked, as he waited for the aching to stop.

:o:o:o:

A pas de deux -A dance for two, usually a man and a woman because the man will lift the woman up and/or guide her


	12. Forgive me

I own nothing

Almost everything about this chapter has been changed. Sheesh did it need work. I know some peopled liked the "nami hot potato" game but as I read it again it seemed utterly ridiculous so I removed it entirely.

Ps. Thank you too Mooglies ((don't cha just love her?)) for catching another error of mine. I'd been badly misspelling "chef" it appeared as everything from "chief" to "cheif" to "chefu." All of those have been changed

:o:o:o:o:o:

The Going Merry bobbed along blindly without its navigator. The ship's course was at the mercy of the winds and the currents and thankfully the ocean's elements seemed to be in a calm mood.

Onboard the usually cheerful vessel silence was king, and hung as a thick fog in the thoughts of every conscious crewmember.

The first noise to pierce the silence was the lonely echo of the offending sword falling from its owner's hand. The metallic clank of the blade against the wooden deck was like a bell whose sad toll rang only to call Zoro from the dark ideas he was suffering from at the hands of his imagination.

Like Sanji he walked slowly towards Chopper's medical cabin, eventually picking up speed as the room never seemed to get any closer until he nearly crashed into his Captain who stood guard outside the door.

Zoro shot Luffy a pained look but the rubbery fellow wouldn't let him through. "Usopp said to keep everyone out."

"Oh?" He chocked through a grainy huff, his glare cast down at the floor where he noticed Sanji sitting with both hands on his head and a quivering cigarette dangling from his lips.

"What does he know about it, huh?"

It hurt.

"What does he think _he's_ doing in there then?"

He hurt her…

It was the only thing he could have ever guaranteed her; her safety, that she would always be protected, go unharmed, unscathed, and now that was ruined. He'd failed her in a way that was so basic it couldn't even been put into words.

"What do you know a damn thing about it?!" He pounded a fist against the door angrily, venting what he could from his tangled up emotions.

"Let me in!!"

"Zoro…" Luffy's attempt was quiet and went all but unnoticed by the raging man.

What if she couldn't trust him after this? What if every time he reached out to touch her she would flinch? He had to find out, he had to know _now_ whether his world was over or not.

"LET me IN damn it!" The swordsman's voice roared.

"IF YOU DON'T SHUT UP CHOPPER CAN'T CONCENTRATE!"

Usopp wanted to say more, say something less lame, angrier, he wanted to say harsh, hurtful things but couldn't bring himself to.

"Usopp open the door!" All the shunned heads waiting in the hall turned disbelievingly when this time the lion's roar quivered, a few syllables nearly lost, and Zoro's head met the hateful barrier with a sharp 'thunk'. How bizarre it was to see the ocean's aspiring master swordsman hang his head and stand so rigidly to prevent himself from collapsing.

For a moment the shipwright almost reconsidered his resolve.

:o:o:o:

Usopp stood with his face turned to the wall, hiding his eyes away from the exposed Nami as Chopper examined the bruising flesh of her torso. His hands trembled at his sides with the anger and worry he had to keep pent up.

'So this is why…' Usopp thought as he locked the door. 'Nami and Zoro, huh?' From behind he could hear Chopper working hastily, from above the loud thump of boots clunk clank clumping towards the makeshift hospital.

That explained why Zoro never slept in the bunker anymore, why his temper had improved--why _Nami's_ temper had improved for that matter.

How many times had their "I'm turning in early guys" been an excuse to be alone? Why hadn't anyone put the pieces together sooner?

A minute later he heard Sanji begging Luffy for access and the small bit of guilt when his Captain denied him again and again. Usopp wasn't expecting Zoro to put up much a fight but when the swordsman started yelling he couldn't contain his own frustration and it all burst out.

:o:o:o:

The marksman promised himself that he wouldn't let the guilty parties have it their way. How could Zoro and Sanji dare to want to be near the woman they'd injured with their own petty prideful games? If Sanji had been willing to put the evidence together that was so plain-sightedly available he would have realized that an argument like "how dare you use Nami" was pitifully flawed. And if Zoro hadn't let Sanji's brash insults wound his ego a clash of fists could have been avoided.

"I'll cut the damn door down! Usopp!" The lion growled threateningly.

"That stupid sword started this!" He yelled back. "You—"

A small cough from behind sliced the sentence at its start. "Usopp…" With wide eyes he turned around and was met by a frighteningly kind smile across Nami's pale lips.

"Ah! Nami!" In a panic he tripped, falling on his face instead of crouching down closer to the patient's head as intended. In the background Chopper cleaned his hooves while inching towards the barred door in a sneaky way.

"I'm fine now, you can let them in." Her breath sounded ragged, still a little wet with the blood drained from her lungs, and Nami's comforting words failed to do their job.

"But—" Nami reached out to pet her friend's hair, her tongue stuck out in a tease. "Dummy."

Over Usopp's fluffy hair Nami watched Chopper unlock the door, allowing the offensive members—and innocent Captain—entry.

When Usopp noticed Nami looking over his shoulder he took a peek of his own and noticed the newcomers.

Disgruntled but complacently abiding by her wishes the marksman rose to allow the next person a go.

Seeing her lying so still in the clandestine 'hospital' bed was cause for worry enough, but when Zoro saw the whiteness of her cheeks and the haze in her eyes the his breath ran away again.

Luffy and Sanji stayed back, waiting to see what their green haired companion would do.

He tried to walk forward calmly, hiding his anxiousness and doubt. He told himself that he was prepared for her to scorn him, maybe even yell, but when Nami smiled so un-accusingly up at him Zoro couldn't help crumbling to his knees at her bedside, his head cast down in a new kind of personal grief.

Only Nami wasn't shocked or surprised by the extreme show of regret. Her hand shook slightly with the effort but she touched his cheek with the back of her fingers.

Being touched so gently seemed even crueler than being slapped. Didn't she blame him at all? Did she really love him so much that she'd abandoned her senses?

Black and auburn eyes met and as her fingertips slid down past his jaw Nami's seemed to say 'What's with that face? Don't look at me so sadly.'

Her arm fell but the swordsman caught it, grasping at her hand as tightly as he dared allow himself.

'I should have known. I should have fucking known she was back there.'

But Zoro was not the only guilty party. Sanji knew in the throbbing pit of his stomach that none of this would have happened if not for his ugly jealousy, and his black cloud of burden would only grow heavier as he watched the exchange between his two friends.

Could he have been wrong?

The orange haired woman looked away from her lover as a second man came to take the confession pose.

"I'm sorry Nami." His blond head leaned towards her just a bit as he surveyed the damage, feeling like he might collapse in her lap like he had that night so many weeks ago when she'd first escaped from the marines "So sorry."

Nami gave each apologetic head a pitifully weak smack with the hand Zoro wasn't hold "Morons" before her scowl disappeared into a sleepy smile and she sank away from them into hopefully lighter dreams.

"Oi, Chopper." Luffy started, reaching up to grab his straw hat as though some surprising news might bow it right off. "What's wrong with Nami?"

"A bit of internal bleeding. Ah! It wasn't fatal!" He quickly reassured them after seeing his crewmates huge eyes and fearful expressions. "If I hadn't operated it would have stopped on it's own…probably…But she's going to be sleepy and disoriented because of the medicine I gave her for the surgery."

All the men sighed a simultaneous breath of relief that this porcelain weakness didn't mean their friend was speaking from her deathbed.

"When can she be up?"

The third person question surprised them all because her amber eyes were still closed and they certainly hadn't expected her to be listening in.

"B-because of the surgery, tomorrow after lunch is the earliest."

"That's good." Nami exhaled through her nose and turned her head back towards Zoro while giving his hand a small squeeze before grinning with her characteristic enthusiasm.

"We'll get to Bilun tomorrow." Her free hand tipped towards the window, the back of it and her knuckles tapped lightly against the wood just beneath it. "No more delays." Across Nami's face was a serious expression and she seemed to be planning their next steps.

"But--!"

Nami settled the matter of unwanted protests by raising a finger and glaring sternly at the Straw Hats, saying, "Hey, all of _you _have been up and about sooner than this from worse injuries."

They couldn't deny it, and since none of them wanting to incur her wrath with some unintended insult the matter was dropped.

Nami seemed satisfied and her scolding glare melted back into a gentler, dreaming smile. This time it wasn't one of her silly games and the woman did merge with sleep.

For a small while the boys stayed by the bed and watched their favorite navigator in her tranquil peace, a sniffle would occasionally break the silence and it was an unspoken rule that it wouldn't be mentioned later.

One at a time Usopp, Sanji, and Luffy left, eager to make dinner, tend to the ship, or get in the way of both.

Chopper checked Nami's pulse one last time before taking a break to stretch his legs, leaving Zoro alone with the sleeping woman.

Though it was clear Nami had forgiven him his eyes were still swirling with regret and pain.

:o:o:

Zoro slipped one hand away from Nami's sleepy grasp to draw his thumb softly over Nami's temple.

This gentle motion brought a twitch to her closed eyelids and her small cloud of sleep drifted off like fog in the afternoon sun.

When she turned her head to Zoro his eyes almost immediately darted away. The girl raised an eyebrow at this but didn't say anything. First her eyes had to scan for her surroundings. Now that her vision wasn't clouded by Chopper's medicine she could see and think more accurately.

The smell of Sanji's dinner carried in like a sweet puff of perfume and the typical sounds of it being consumed rapidly followed suit. "You aren't at dinner?"

"Not hungry." He mumbled out the side of his mouth, eyes and expression still downcast.

"Hey." Her sharp statement drew his eyes to attention, to hers.

"Stop it."

"Eh?"

"Stop looking at me like you killed my puppy."

"…"

"Now either go get something to eat or go lock the door."

"Oh really?" He growled quietly in submissive yet agitated question as the swordsman brought his face to hover over her so that his eyes might pry into her.

"Yes, really. You made a mistake but now it's done with and everybody's fine so get over it."

Nami tilted her head to kiss him but all she got was a brush of her lips against his as he pulled back to argue. "What if I had really hurt you?"

"But you didn't." Nami sighed out her answer, not seeing what they could possibly benefit from with this hypothetical situation or why it was so important to him.

"Well let's say I did!" Zoro suddenly exclaimed, his voice and body rising. "What then?" The question pressed.

"Just get over here will you?" Nami whined in the way she always did when she wanted something and he just wasn't giving it to her.

His fists clenched at his sides and for a moment the young navigator thought maybe he wouldn't do it, maybe he would burst out into some heroic and sentimental speech. But there was no speech. The tight fists relaxed as he exhaled some of his frustration out into the chilling night air, turned back around, and went to her.

Nami smiled at the victory and kissed him when he was close enough, enjoying the feel of his lips so light against hers, noses brushing so awkwardly and yet so perfectly.

As she tugged and nudged Zoro became compliant enough to allow her to drag him onto the bed as well though he'd been very careful about where his knees were going and absolutely refused to lay any of his weight upon her.

Once she stretched her arm in the wrong direction and the fresh incision shot a ripple of pain into her expression and Zoro froze entirely. Nami didn't notice until her attempts to stir his attention failed three times, but when she saw the terrified look in his eyes the woman was sure her heart broke just a little.

"Hey…" She cooed, nudging him with her lips and nose not to move him but to wake him "it's ok, it wasn't your fault I'm…" When it was clear the small tokens weren't working she took his face in both hands, stroking gently as she lifted herself high enough from the pillows to kiss the top of her warrior's sunken head. "I'm ok, I promise, you didn't do anything."

"But I did…" Zoro chocked out the words into her neck, his muscled arms beginning to tremble as his own weight unexplainably increased tenfold, nearly buckled him.

One hand found its way down his neck, skimming against the small bone of his spine at the nap, and she felt the vibrations of his body. "Oh…" There might have been tears in her eyes but Nami wouldn't have noticed.

With a swift gesture she hooked her arms around his shoulders, pushing up slightly and he willingly took hold of her back and held her in a sitting embrace.

Nami's chin sat on his shoulder as she spoke quietly to him as he held her like a wisp of wind that might blow away if he so much as blinked.

Whatever length of time it took to break the cruel, self placed ice around Zoro Nami didn't care to try and keep track but felt incredibly relieved when his fingers slowly started to explore her bare back, then her shoulders, diving down to trace the edges of her bandages.

Soon she would pull back her head to impose one more request on him. "Take me outside."

"…You want to go outside _now_?" Zoro's expression read as one of disbelief, hinting also with slight un-appreciation for the sudden shift of mood, but he lifted her from the bed nonetheless and carried her onto the deck.

:o:o:o:o:

As the couple watched the stars pass by from the secluded comfort of Nami's orange grove Zoro made a point of planning for 'sense your surroundings' training.

o:o:o:

A little later that evening Nami lay quietly on her stomach, bare back exposed with only the bandages hindering the show of her flesh as she waited for Zoro to finish what he'd explained was a 'very necessary bath.'

He walked so quietly as he entered that Nami almost didn't hear him, but when he crawled into bed and began to drag his lips between her shoulders his presence became un-ignorable.

She purred as he kissed his way up to pay small homage to the scar on her shoulder before quickly skittering down to less dangerous territory. His hands found themselves at her sides; eventually they would sneak under her shoulders so he could hold her.

Out of respect for the doctor's wishes they wouldn't do anything too strenuous that night, but it would be a direct offence against nature not to express their love and sorrow for the trouble they'd each caused that day.

o:o:o:o:o:o:o:

"Very good." A sadistic chuckle interrupted the speech. "Very good indeed. I can already see the pirates approaching. You marines did your job well."

"What? What do you mean?! Say that again?" He heard the shocked voice from the other side of the Den-Den Mushi.

"I guess it_ is _high time I told you the truth isn't it? There's no such thing as Jing, you fool."


	13. Haunting Memories Devastate

I own nothing, sob, nothing

A small piece of the plot was changed in this chapter, the previous version was too cliché

:o:o:o:

The waves were crystal clear, the snow-white foam cut smoothly as though it were cream, and the sea birds called out their scratchy songs. It was the perfect day for pirates, the perfect day for an adventure.

That seemed to be what Luffy was thinking, since excitement was not nearly enough of a word to describe why it was so hard for the rest of his crew to keep him inside the rowboat.

Just as Nami predicted they stumbled upon Bilun in the early morning, Luffy sighted the landmass first and roused the sleeping ship with a loud cheer of "adventure dead ahead!!"

No one was talking about the traumatic events of the previous day, they all seemed far too eager to explore their first solid clue after such a long period of frustration and dead ends to ruin the mood with serious talk.

'YAHOOO!" The captain exclaimed as he jumped into the white sand, wiggling the sun-warmed ground between his toes happily.

Nami's auburn eyes scanned the area carefully, searching for what to do next. "Well…any ideas?"

"C-cave!!"

"Eh?" They all turned their heads towards the furry doctor who stood with one hoof jabbed in the direction of a particularly dark looking crevice. Granted, it was hidden slightly by some island shrubbery, but what was visible remained ominous enough.

"Hm. It's a mine." Usopp concluded as he studied the outside.

"Mines? As in something you dig diamonds and jewels and _gold _out of?" Nami asked, her eyes spinning with Beli like a slot machine.

"Either way, it's a good place to investigate." Zoro pitched in calmly as he drew his sword to hack away the greenery.

:o:o:o:

"Yes, go exploring. Ku ku ku kuhe…"

o:o:o:o:

"EEE What was that?!!" Usopp whined in a panic from the seat on Luffy's head he'd taken during his jumped to escape the frightening noise.

"Just some water." Nami answered as she waved her light over a corner, revealing a tiny puddle on the mossy floor and the steady drips from the questionably stable ceiling.

"Ehehe..I knew that." He grumbled as he was tossed from his perch.

"Hm?" Sanji, who'd gone ahead, suddenly stopped as his shoes clicked on the ground. He looked down casually, knowing that moss would not have made such a sound. "Concrete?"

"Find something?" Nami's echoed voice called came from down the shaft.

"Ah…not really! Though, something a little odd."

"Odd?" Came the five replies in unison.

With all six lights pointed at the boxlike section of concrete the crew could see that not just the floor, but the roof and both walls seemed to be covered in the gray matter also.

"Must be a new shaft." Luffy wondered as he stretched his neck further into the darkness.

"Either way it's something different." Following that black haired head Nami endeavored on. The boys hade no choice but to follow, chased after her as the excitement in the air rose.

Tmp, tmp, tmp. Nami could hear her footsteps and the cloppidy clopings of the people around her. Those rhythmic sounds seemed to be getting louder, more drawn out. "Is it getting…echoier?" She wondered.

"More echoy." Chopper corrected.

"Shouldn't it be, more echo like?" Sanji suggested.

"Maybe there's an end coming up." Zoro interjected quickly, trying to stop any further additions to Nami's oddly worded theory.

Surely enough, in a few more yards they ran strait into a dead end.

They spent a few moments searching for anything that might lead them a little further but eventually the hopes of the troupe sank as they got ready to admit defeat.

"No turns, no corners, no trap doors--" "No goods." The treasure addict of a navigator finished with a whine in her voice.

As if by cue a string of electric lights on the roof flashed on, temporarily blinding anyone who was unlucky enough to be looking up at the time.

"Greetings pirates." Came a strong voice from a previously hidden speaker snail.

"Shit!" Sanji cursed loudly.

"How nice of you to finally find your way here. Unfortunately, I won't be able to entertain all of you today." He continued.

"Today, I'm inviting only two guests to the main event. Oh! And I'd appreciate if the rest of you don't try inviting yourselves. One false move and the bombs above your heads detonate. Crushed beneath mountains doesn't sound very pleasant to me… Only a precaution of course!" The Straw Hats could practically feel the mockery dripping from his words like acid and hear the confident smirk smeared across his face.

"Which ones?" Usopp wondered out load, trying to hide a gulp as he wondered which position was the best to be in.

It soon became obvious that their solid wall wasn't so solid after all as the better part of the middle slid away to reveal another corridor.

"Who will get to go? You're all wondering I'm sure, but I know the obvious answer. Won't you come party with me: oh flower of the sea, the orange woman who smells of money…Nami."

Zoro turned sharply to look at her, his eyes blazing with a firm 'hell no.'

"But who is the second? It's all up to you Nami. Choose the one--" "Sanji! Feel like partying?" Nami interrupted, the old wily and manipulative glimmer in her eyes were back as she turned first to bid Sanji to her then again to sneak a peak at the Speaker Snail. "You were going to ask me to choose my favorite, right?"

A static gritty laugh came pouring out through the mouth of the projection piece. "Witty as ever."

"Nami!" Zoro whispered in a hurt hiss, eyes searching her for some sort of reason or secret plan. To his dismay she swatted him away as if he were yesterday's cliché. "The rest of you just go back to the ship. We'll be done here soon."

When she saw Zoro about to protest again she leant in closer to him and, eyes hinting with malice, said huskily "Just go back, Zoro."

Her words left him rooted in place, and without so much as a glance in his direction Nami pivoted gracefully, slipped her arm around Sanji's, and the two walked through the door. When they slipped through to the other side the concrete slammed back down and the wall seemed just as solid as it had a few minutes earlier.

"M….something doesn't feel right." Luffy mumbled as he stared at the remote controlled door.

"Damn it!" Zoro's hands clenched on his swords and he almost kicked one of the walls out of pure frustration. 'Damn it! Damn it!'

Meanwhile, Usopp was busy studying the location of the explosives above their heads. 'Hm…there! That…erm, that's one…I hope…'

:o:o:

Sanji and Nami continued down the modernized walkway in content silence, occasionally obeying the random signs regarding which direction to take. The man over the inner-com didn't say anything more to them and they didn't have much to say to each other.

Still, Nami felt that something must be spoken, so she whispered into his ear in a hopefully privacy of a corner. "Whoever this guy is, he can't be any more dangerous then the other's we've taken out. All the same, be careful, and if you can, escape back to the ship. It sounds like all he wants is me."

Sanji kept quiet, nodding instead of protesting like he knew he should have. It was itching at inner peace that she'd chosen him. Choose your favorite? That had to be Zoro. By all rights she should have chosen Zoro. And what had she whispered to him to make him so complacent? The only conclusion could be…

One more turn left and the pirates found themselves in large room with an excessively high ceiling. There was a small table for three prepared--though there wasn't any food on the plates and no drink in the cups.

Nami's eyes flickered anxiously across the room, obtaining as much detail about it as she could. No windows, no other clearly visible exists, and the most suspicious thing she could find was a piece of wall that jutted out separately from the others like a column.

Upon further inspection one would notice that this high wall held a great stone chair of intricate detail that might have been a king's seat.

Sitting in that elevated throne was a pudgy man in his thirties who a wore suspiciously wide brimmed hat, fancy cloths, hid his lip behind a twisted mustache, and carried with him the most bourgeois attitude Nami had ever felt.

"Welcome! I'd begun to wonder whether or not you would make it." His voice was rang clear and defined without the constriction of the Speaker Snail and was a disturbing sound to hear.

"Tell me, what are we welcome to, exactly?" Nami pressed with determination in her eyes but a polite tone in her words.

"Why a party of course." His smile grew as he placed a hand against his cheek, supporting the great weight of his robust head.

"A party…celebrating my revenge!"

:o:o:

"Na…does this mean there isn't any treasure?" Luffy asked through a pout. The boys hadn't made any attempt to leave yet though there wasn't anything barring their escape from behind.

"Who knows." Zoro grumbled, one hand on sword as he clicked the hilt in and out of the scabbard.

"Nami…." Chopper whined in worry.

It wasn't long before Usopp found the last of the explosives. 'There!'

:o:o:

"Revenge?" Nami questioned innocently, wanting to gather as much information as possible before busting out a duet of pain upon this poor, sluggish excuse for a man.

"Yes…I don't expect you to remember me, of course. So instead of wasting time on introductions…lets get right to it!" He raised his hands high above his head, putting his fingers together like a game of Steeple with index fingers up and the others wrapped around each other. "If nothing else, remember the name of this person...Bushiko, Koai!"

Koai brought his hands down, aiming his two pointer fingers at Nami. "Monoo monoo no flash!"

Flash of memories.

Surprised by the sudden attack Nami could only stand helplessly while her memories replayed rapidly like a tape on rewind. She could feel him in her head, knew he was watching as she did, and the color drained from her face.

"Nami!" Sanji called anxiously from her side, not sure what the purpose of the technique was. When the blonde man got no response he turned viciously towards attacker.

"WHAT?" An outraged cry shook the roof before Sanji act. "You…you always have to be so damn _sneaky_ don't you?" Koai jammed a finger at Sanji while he glared daggers at Nami. "I TOLD YOU…I told you…to bring the one you couldn't stand loosing!"

"Sucks for you!" She answered back coyly, a few drops of sweat accumulating on the side of her face. "I love all my friends! Loosing any one of them is--" "NO!" He threw a kind of tantrum with his arms. "The green haired one! You were supposed to bring the green haired one!!"

"Oi, what's this—" The chef was quickly silenced by a fast moving block projected upwards from the floor.

Up above the two pirates the rich man had pressed a button on his strange chair.

"Sanji!" Nami watched with mild horror as he crumbled to the ground after taking a brutal hit to the stomach. With a swift slide across the stone floor she managed to catch his shoulder and keep her friend from hitting his head on the way down. In that moment Nami forgot about her injury and bit her lip to hold back the scream of as the collision with Sanji's boney side shot fresh pain through her chest.

Before the orange haired woman could turn to glare at Koai he'd picked up his little snail once again and begun to address the boys who'd been left behind.

:o:o:

"It seems there's been a change of plans."

Behind them a fourth wall dropped down, sealing the pirates inside the concrete box though it wouldn't hold them if they really wanted an escape.

"Hey!"

"I've been patient with you outlaws…" The man's voice shook as if he were struggling to control his anger. "…but I'm only so much of a patient man. So…you have one…last…chance to do what I want. Greenhaired swordsman! You should come take the place of the chef who seems to have fainted."

"SANJI?!" Luffy cried out, pissed by the suggestion that one of his crewmates might have been defeated already.

"Be proud of your woman, who lied to spare you. Now come, or I'll set off the bombs above your heads!!"

"DON'T!" Nami screamed out as loudly as she could, hoping her voice would reach the snail and be heard by the friend's she'd been separated from.

"Leave that idiot out of this." Setting Sanji aside gently again, Nami stood up and put on one of her old masks of deception. "Whatever you saw, you've misunderstood. That swordsman was simply a way to spend the time."

"…" Dumbfounded on the other side, Zoro heard everything she said clearly. He wasn't gullible enough to believe it but now he understood why she'd chosen Sanji. She was protecting him.

'Damn it.'

"Gum-drop…explosion!" With a rapid fire Usopp managed to hit each of the visible bombs, preventing them from setting off by clogging up their mechanisms with the gummy liquid.

Everyone jumped at the sound of the attack before realizing why he'd done it and the group of fighters charged forward.

:o:

"Eh? EH?" When the bratty man hit the detonator the expected sound of chaotic explosion never reached his ears. "What in the damn blazes is—"

"Tell me what's going on. Tell me what you're after. Revenge, you said?" Nami chuckled in her old, acted, hateful way.

She drew the Clima Tact from her side, pointing it at the man. "Let me hear everything."

At first it was silent, but then Koai began to chuckle and chuckle quickly turned into a laugh of mocking merriment. "Everything? Everything since when? Since I had the Marine's chase you here? Since I ordered your capture? Since the time I planted the ridiculous notion of a powerful treasure into that stupid General's head?"

"The marines? You were behind them…" Nami pondered the statement, rolling it over as if it were wine to be tasted.

"Yes. It was quite easy to turn those sea-faring fools into my minions. All I had to do was suggest to General How, a predominate Devil Fruit user, that there was such a thing as 'Jing.' That somewhere, out in North Blue there was an island abundant crystals known to enhance the powers of rock fruit users like him. Marines are so gluttonous for power these days after all. Of course they bought it right away! And it didn't hurt to slip them the information that only _your _notorious band of good-for nothings had managed to weigh anchor on its shores."

:o:

Luffy, Usopp, Zoro, and Chopper could still hear the explanation as they ran through the tunnels, following the same flashy signs. Zoro's fists became dangerous as he took in the news.

:o:

"And why? Why me?" Nami pressed, bent on buying a little time in case she would need reinforcements.

"That." He said as one of his pale green eyes came out from hiding behind his thick, black hair. "You can't know until the one you cherish above all others is here beside you!"

Koai pressed a second detonator button.

:o:

All around the boys mechanical dolls sprung up. From the ground, from the walls and even from the roof they emerged, the various weapons in their hands already swung and hacked at the intruders.

"What the hell?" Luffy exclaimed and he punched one aside.

Zoro began to draw his swords, intent on fighting off the new problem, but Chopper stopped him.

"Zoro! Leave this to us, you have to go help Nami!"

The brave man paused for just a second then smirked and turned towards a brighter goal. "If you guys have more fun than me, I'm gunna be pissed!"

"Yosh!" Came the captain's exclamation as his rubber fist sent another doll rocketing into its companion.

:o:o:

Nami was slightly fearful of what that last button had done but quickly wiped those thoughts to the back of her consciousness and didn't let any of her concern taint her expression. She activated her own mechanism, the Clima Tact, and started blowing cool bubbles up towards the high chair.

"A, a, a…" Koai warned, waving a finger at her. "Mind your manners little girl…" The chastising finger relocated its pose towards Sanji. "…attack me, and I'll bust his brains."

Nami's hands clenched her weapon tightly, turning her fingers red and her knuckles white. It took too long to make the cloud, all this man had to do was say a few magic words and it was over for Sanji. If only she had a distraction.

Then, as if hearing her thoughts, the man who couldn't deny her any wish came trampling into the room. "Nami!"

"Zoro?"

The surprise in her face was annoying, but the swordsman didn't waste any time lingering on the pain she'd been delivering him.

"Oh---goody! He finally arrives." The chubby villain exclaimed from his perch.

"Oi, Nami…" Zoro ignored the eyesore.

"Hm?"

"I'm gunna ask you one last time…" The swordsman hardly moved as he took his stance. "…how weak…do you think I am?!!!"

"Uh? W-haaaa-ui!!" Before Koai could even think to retaliate he found himself tipping over in the supposedly rock solid chair and in a matter of seconds his extremely elevated throne crumbled into a large heap of rubble and dust.

After the loud crash the sound of Zoro's swords clicking back into their scabbards filled the echoic space.

Now he took a moment to look around and spotted the unconscious Sanji on the floor. "Tsh. You could have at least brought Luffy."

"Hey! It's not his fault. And I didn't need protecting in the first place, a small fry like this." Nami brushed a handful of orange hair over her shoulder as if to emphasize the fact that she could take care of her own self.

"O!!!" Came an unexpected squeal from behind the relaxed duo.

"O!!! That REALLY twists me off…O!!!"

"…Twists?"

A dust covered, messy, and scuffed up looking villain reappeared from the destructive heap of rock. His eyes were wide and red at the edges. Aside from a few scrapes what appeared to have taken the most damage was his hair, which now stuck out in every which-a-way and was thoroughly ruined with frizz. His brimmed hat had gone missing as well.

"Memory shuffle!"

With a violent effort Koai brought his index fingers together and a strange blue beam hit Nami in the middle of her forehead. There was an initial pause as things adjusted, as Nami wondered what had happened, and as Zoro tried to figure out what the hell was going on.

'Devil fruit user, huh? Is there even such a thing as a me--' A scream from Nami brought his thoughts to a halt. "Nami?!"

Her eyes had become hazy, and she was clutching tightly at her head. "Aaaa!"

Everything was flashing by so quickly, such a hot white pounding behind her pupils. The young woman had only lived a short time but there were still so many memories, so many moments. She could catch small snips here and there, but the rest of the time her own life bombarded her like a vicious barrage of bullets. A sharp headache was steadily building and the nausea from a spinning world was begging to catch up with her.

Realizing that vocals were doing nothing, Zoro turned towards the protagonist, his fangs bared and his swords itching for sweet revenge.

Koai realized what the warrior had in mind and smiled wickedly. "How fast can you cut, I wonder? Would you kill me before or after I wipe her memories of you away?"

Zoro's eyes widened slightly and for a moment he was doubtful.

All the times they'd shared, the kisses, the intimacy, their first step from mutual but friendly indifference to attraction…to love…it was all coming before him like a lawyer's defensive plea.

She would forget about all that?

"That's what I thought." The villain chuckled arrogantly to himself as his joined fingers separated like oppositely magnets and Nami's pain seemed to increase.

The unbearable sound of Nami's screams put the lost fire back into his swords. He refused to listen to her pain any longer. Wouldn't think selfish thoughts any longer.

"Fuck that! I'll just make her…love me all over again!"

Again Zoro charged, his sword coming down to meet the chubby man's neck.

"What if I erase it all?" Came the sick-minded proposal, bringing Zoro's swing to a stop short of its purpose.

If the situation hadn't been so chaotic Zoro might have taken the time to admire how the man didn't quiver under the threat of a most dreadful death.

"With all memory swept away, all personality gone with it, would she still be the woman you love?"

Koai's eyes were shifty and sincere.

"She wouldn't be…would she?" The laugh of a man truly mad followed the statement.

"Damn…"

"Why are you doing this?" The surprise question came from Nami.

As Zoro lowered his sword he looked back over his shoulder to see his navigator had regained some ability and was glaring angrily at her torturer.

"Why? WHY? Because you took the love for my life away from me! I was probably just another hit to you, a simple job really." Koai liked his lips and his babbling speech gathered speed with each new word. "Dance with the rich man, steel his wallet. Dance with the rich man, steel his wallet. OH!" He inhaled painfully.

"If only I'd known my fiancé would follow me…if I had known she should watch while you _kissed_ me." The word was spat from his mouth as though it were coated in acid. "A simple peck on the cheek, but to her! That plain, simple girl, it was proof that I didn't love her…" A laugh hiccupped its way out of his throat. "But now, now, I get to take the love from YOUR life!"

His dangerous hands began moving as an orchestra conductor's might, the left appendage wove back and forth beckoningly while the right made invisible circles in the air.

Before Nami could protest about it being _his_ fault for being in such a sleazy bar when he already had someone she found herself drowning in a downward spiral of painful memories. In the chaos she completely lost herself, thinking no more of the present but being of one mind with the past that was flashing before her senses.

Zoro kicked the ground, feeling completely useless and torn. Before when the option was 'I save her but she forgets about me' it was something he could live with. Sparing her pain at his expense was nothing. However…this time he would be compromising everything. All the memories of her friends and crew, the things she'd painstakingly learned about being a navigator, the short lived but good times she had with her mother… Irreplaceable things like that were too much to give up. Still...

Nami's fingers dug into her hair and scalp, pulling hard at the orange locks as if she could substitute one pain for another. She was thrashing around, almost uncontrollably.

At this rate, she'll hurt herself. He thought as he went to her side, hoping to at least pin her hands away from her body and prevent the damage.

There were tears in her eyes as she crumpled into Zoro's arms she cried out Bellemere's name. She was probably watching the woman's death.

"I'm sorry." Zoro mumbled into her forehead, his hands tight around her shoulders. He couldn't think of anything except to wait for an opening or opportunity.

Sinister laughter ruined the sad moment between the breaking woman and the helpless hero.

"Bellemere…" She cried out again, digging her head into Zoro's shoulder even though she had no idea he was there.

After that it didn't take much time before the situation began to take a different course. Nami quieted down, her thrashing and shaking ceased. Zoro released her hands, thinking the trauma was over, and she wiped away her tears.

Now her shoulders shook not with sadness or fear but with anger. Blurry, confused eyes flashed up violently to stare at Zoro and the expert swordsman immediately recognized the killing intent in them.

"Arlong." She hissed, reaching for the dagger at her side she always carried for emergencies.

"Oi, Nami!" He shook her, realizing that the bad memories had confused her.

"Oh, it's getting good!" Koai squealed with glee behind them.

"Arlong!" She made a swipe at him but was easily blocked.

"Nami! Snap out of it damn it!" The swordsman gave her a good shake, hoping to bring the fog out of her eyes. It was Zoro's bad luck that this small act was not nearly significant enough, and the woman went right on trying to defend herself against the villainous fish who had once ruled her life.

In his pathetic pile of ruble Koai laughed away, wishing he'd prepared some wine to accompany the festivities.

As he dodged her many hysteric attempts Zoro realized that if he took a hit from the delusional Nami and pretend to be hurt then the sick puppeteer would be caught off guard and he could slice the bastards head from his shoulders.

Zoro tried to make a good show of it, slowing drawing them closer to his desired target, allowing her to come very close to slicing him.

Take the hit, play dead, strike the snake. Take the hit, play dead, strike the snake. A fool proof plan.

Nami screamed in frustration, putting too much force behind her swing and fell onto the floor.

"Ah, beautiful, beautiful. " Came the hateful comment. 'Take the hit, play dead, strike the snake' Zoro forced himself to focus on this rather than loose his temper to the mockery of the heartless villain.

"Arlong…" A struggling Nami rose to a hunched crouch to make her final attack. "…I…" She burst out with terrible speed, her dagger ready and eager for blood. "I- hate you!"

Whether it was the angry tears, the look of agony, or the words no lover ever wishes to hear, Zoro wasn't sure. But something Nami did in those final, crucial, seconds left him stone cold. He didn't move aside as he'd intended, didn't step away from a fatal blow—taking it harmlessly somewhere between the ribs—didn't do anything to keep the woman he loved from stabbing him strait through the lung, just nicking his heart.

"Gu—" Pain stitched itself onto his face while his blood dripped down onto Nami's.

Koai went silent behind them though it wouldn't have mattered if he'd had a brass band playing; no one was going to pay any attention to his pathetic mass.

When the deed was done, and Koai finally let her free, Nami could only look up in confusion that twisted quickly into devastating horror. "Zoro?" A painful, quivering inhale "Zoro?!" received no answer.

"ZORO!"

He tried to smirk off the pain, but all he could get out was a wince as he collapsed from the sudden loss of half his air.

"No! No!" Nami pleaded, her hands groping around his body as if she were searching for the rope that would keep him tied down to earth and alive. His head came heavily down on her shoulder and Nami almost fell strait to the floor. She was beyond panic, beyond confusion, beyond sorrow, and it all showed in her beautiful face. That beautiful face was now twisted up with such cruel emotions.

"Yeah, doesn't feel so good does it? Knowing you're the one who--." Any further insult was blocked by Sanji's fierce kick. While the man's attention stayed fixed on the scene he hadn't noticed Sanji charging from behind.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" Her fingers traced through his hair and she laid his struggling body on the ground. Nami knew better than to take out the offensive dagger, leaving it in to hold back his blood.

Zoro tried to tell her that it was alright, that he would be alright. To just give him a few more seconds and then he could go and chop this bastard down, but she shushed his speech with her finger. "Don't talk. Don't—" Blood was already coming out in clouds of breath and small droplets from his mouth so Nami banished his words.

"Nami!" "Zoro!" "Oh shit!" Came the late cries from the rest of her beloved companions.

The orange haired woman turned pleadingly to them, her eyes full of salty, bitter tears, her lip trembling, and her whole being seemed to pulse with agony. "Ch-Chopper…" She managed to whisper, wanting only to hear something reassuring from the small doctor.

"Woooah! What happened?" Luffy asked, wide-eyed and surprised.

"There's no time!" Nami yelled, about to get frantic, her hands ready to strangle anyone who delayed Zoro's treatment.

"Usopp, Luffy, get Sanji I'll—" "Sanji's fine." So said the chef himself.

As he lit a therapeutic smoke he said through the shadow of his eyes. "Better get that shithead some help."

o:o:o:o:

Moving him in a way that was satisfactory to Nami seemed impossible, but for better or for worse the injured man was brought back to the Going Merry safely and quickly.

"Nami, stay outside please."

Was the last thing she heard before the door closed and Nami found herself alone on deck. The rest of the boys all retreated from the dangerous situation, or waited for Chopper to ask for something they could bring him like hot water or bandages.

Time ticked casually but Nami had no idea, she didn't care about time. Time was the first thing to slip away.

In her heart she could feel with great dread that the person she loved more than anyone else in the whole world was dying.


	14. Born from or born because

I own nothing, nothing I say!

:o:o:o:o:o

The ocean: a deep, dark, never-ending collection of tear flavored water.

The waves brushed that water against the side of the going Merry. Back and forth the silent ship rocked over the choppy ocean.

Sea legs, some called it: the ability to walk normally on this constant motion, to let it blend with who you are, what you are.

What was a pirate?

What was a navigator?

Nami's cold amber eyes peered into the ever darkening water as she hung her head limply from the bow of the ship, lying stomach to the deck with one arm under her chin and the other reaching out for the sea. Her hand swung lifelessly, just barely missed its chance to be wet. No matter how much the water stretched to reach the girl it just couldn't.

Just like her. Constantly reaching for the things it wanted, but never quite getting there.

Her Zoro was slipping away from her.

Nami stretched her fingers but nothing changed, the ocean was still too far away to touch.

What was a navigator?

It was someone who knew when disaster was coming. They knew just what to do to prevent it. No matter what kind of weather came her way, on the ocean, Nami knew how to protect her crew. Was it because she'd melted with the sea? Or was it because she'd been born from the sea?

'Maybe I should just go back...go into it. Become part of the sea…' The cold night waters looked more and more inviting. 'How easy would it be just let go and plunge into the welcoming blue?' Nami wondered.

To let herself slip just a little further over the side of the vessel she loved, that carried the man she loved, the man she destroyed.

Did she feel this way because their hearts were no longer two but one? Was she dying with him? If so, did she melt with him? Or…was her heart born from being with him?

Slowly, Nami rose from her unguarded position into a stand. Bare feet padded closer towards the relief she found herself craving as she sat on the rail and swung a thin leg over the edge, standing now on the decorative rim. Just melt away. Melt with the sea, forever and ever. 'Don't struggle, for once in my life I won't struggle.'

"Nami!" Thin arms found their way around her waist, pulling her back onto the stable deck. "What the hell were you doing?" Sanji turned her around, trying to maker the young woman look at him but her head wouldn't face the right way.

"Nami…" Sanji originally came out to try and reassure her that even if Zoro died—which he didn't estimate to be very likely—he would be there for her. He was going to offer himself up as a rebound target. Profess an undying and serious love.

However, seeing the defeated eyes of the woman who couldn't stand on her own without his firm grip on her arms made Sanji put aside those selfish words.

As a friend he drew her close to his chest, engulfing the fragile body as if to hide her away from the troubles plaguing her. "He's not going to die. So don't give up. Zoro's taken worse than that."

"S-Sanji…" Her own voice sounded foreign. She hadn't heard it in hours, and her throat was still sore from the screaming and the salty ocean winds. "Sanji I…I did it…I stabbed him. " Nami's words became broken with sobs as she dug her head further into his suit.

"Oi, oi, it wasn't your fault. You wouldn't have done it if you'd had the choice." The blonde chef whispered soothingly.

"Besides, no matter what I'm not letting you die with him."

Nami looked up suddenly, her eyes wide with astonishment that Sanji could say something like that, but all she saw was his neck since his chin sat snug atop her head. She couldn't read his expression.

"If you do, god knows I'll probably do it next. And if I do it then Luffy will, which means Chopper will, if Usopp doesn't first."

The woman sniffled away some of her sorrow as she realized that he was being facetious.

Her world seemed to brighten just a little. The ocean lost some of its grey and drowning deeps didn't call quite so inviting anymore.

That's right. No matter what happened she was still needed. Even if she had to live in it without him she still had things to do in this world.

An honest smile took place of the quivering pout that had locked her beautiful, happy expression away. "Thank you, Sanji."

Nami lowered her head onto the Chef's shoulder for a moment, only pulling away when her tears were gone. "I'm sorry about how you found out. I—"

Sanji took her hand, turning the pink palm upwards so he could look at it. "Don't worry. Don't worry about anything. As long as you're happy it's fine with me. Just know that the moment you become unhappy I'll be ready to swoop in and kick his ass for you." He sealed the promise with a meager kiss upon one of her more harshly scraped fingers.

The woman would have liked to hold onto her friend for a little while longer but before she could get anything else in an exhausted looking Chopper came up onto deck. "Nami, Zoro is—"

Before the little doctor could finish she bolted past him into the medical bay. Already emotionally stretched beyond her limits, Nami mistook exhaustion for sadness and felt her stomach fall as it did every time she lost someone precious.

On the much too familiar cot lay the man she'd injured. He was pale from blood loss, his breath was slow, and because Chopper hadn't cleaned up yet there was still so much red around, taunting her.

"Don't do this." Her voice was quiet as her eyes trailed over him nervously and she sank onto an empty seat in the bed.

No response warranted her anger and frustration. "Don't do this!" She grabbed his shoulder, squeezing it with a trembling grip. When this didn't get a response her lips began to quiver all over again and her angry hold loosed so she could trail a hand up his neck to grasp the back of his head.

The three earrings tinked together as she disturbed them, three small times they resounded before lying still again. "Don't leave me alone."

Nami's voice was barely a broken whisper as she leaned her head towards his, stroking her hand through her favorite green head of hair.

"Please. I—I love you…" She paused as the words didn't come as easily as she wanted.

"I can't sleep without you anymore." This quiet, embarrassing plea she whispered into his ear. "Please…"

Nami's head turned so she could scan the body she'd come to know so well. Uncontrollable tears threatened to spill when she noted how shallow his breath had become, how still his body was.

Determination and desperation didn't seem very far apart as Nami's other hand came to join its partner, both sets of long fingers holding Zoro's face gently. "I already love you more than money. Just wake up, open your eyes…Come on!" She nudged his forehead.

"Open your eyes and, and I'll try to--I'll even love you more than mandarins!"

A small snicker stopped whatever would have come after those tearful words.

On Zoro's face was a shaking smile, busy fighting its way onto the mock sleeping expression he was trying to hold.

Slowly he opened an eye, weary of the punishment he knew was coming. '

He'd been awake the whole time, though at first was just too tired to keep his eyes open as he waited for her. It wasn't until she started begging that he decided he would play the part of an unconscious man, eagerly wanting to know how it finished.

Nami's brown eyes were wide with surprise, and as he cautiously lifted a hand to stroke the side of her cheek he expected them to turn into glares of 'how could you!'

But she didn't stare him down, didn't scold him or hit him or even snap at him.

Instead her eyes became downcast, and she slowly rose away from his hand. She stepped over him, her knee coming down harmlessly against his left leg. Looking as though she might as well have been tidying up a mess Nami quietly settled herself against him, curling into his arm and tucking her head under his chin.

She said nothing and offered no explanation as she arranged herself around him, and that was cause for worry.

"Oi…" Zoro tried to tilt his head so he could see her better but it was no good.

Just then, something outside was upset and a pile of boys came tumbling into the room.

"Oi!" The swordsman's anger reared up and turned on his friends, though they either didn't care or couldn't take him seriously while seeing him in such a position.

"Na…Chopper…why are they like that?" A very confused Luffy—who was still trying to piece the puzzle together—pointed at the cuddled couple.

"OUT!"

"It's love." Sanji answered nonchalantly as the first one of the group to stand up again.

"Is it alright Captain?" Nami asked softly, her eyes closed and her whole body looking very tired.

The rubber man tilted his head. "…why not?"

"Because sometimes it causes trouble." She elaborated, her words riding on an exhaled sigh.

"Oh." The boy looked down, to the right, then the left, upwards at the roof, then back at Nami. "That's fine."

o:o:o:

A cool wind blew Sanji's smoke westward. Dawn was soon approaching and everyone was supposed to be asleep, but his mind was still too active to try and drift off into such a calm state.

An unexpected visitor came up behind him, joining the chef in his lean against the rails of the ship. Sanji turned his head just enough to catch a glimpse of green hair.

For a good few minutes neither man said anything, only the noise of the ocean kept them from total silence.

"Oi." Sanji finally broke the quiet. "Did you propose?"

"WH-! What the hell kinda question is that?" Zoro glared at his blond haired friend with flushed cheeks and irritated eyes, nearly jumping a good spasm away.

"Did you?" He pressed, and his cool gaze seemed to put the swordsman back into a calm attitude.

"…no."

Sanji sighed out a mouthful of smoke before he smiled and turned so his back was against the railing. "Then, I'm not giving up on her. Nami-swan."

Before Zoro could retaliate Sanji put up his hands, his shoulders shrugged. "Eh, don't misunderstand. You won't get any trouble from me. Seems like you'll have enough of that already." The black eye that wasn't hidden behind hair looked up at him sincerely. "Did she have any idea how many more of these guys are out there?"

Zoro shuffled his feet quietly.

o:o:

Nami played with his hair, a small smile on her face spoke volumes on content mood. Luffy, Sanji, Chopper, and Usopp left a while ago and dinner was long over. In the dark, quiet room that had started all this trouble they lay soundly together.

"Zoro?" She asked, making him open his eyes and set sleep aside.

"Hm?"

"Would you grow out your hair?"

"…eh?"

"You should."

"No." He yawned. "It'll just get in the way."

"A little more won't." She protested with a pout. "Just enough for me to play with?"

"You're already playing with it." The swordsman closed his eyes, trying to escape from the issue.

Nami sighed and lowered her head in defeat, resting it on his chest for a moment as she simply stared, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

A few warm exhales against his cheek and the feel of a gentle touch against his earlobe had his eyes wide open again.

"Please?" She asked with a tiny tilt of her head and one solitary but effective blink in his direction.

Zoro groaned a little, but gave in as he always did and Nami went back to lying softly at his side.

"Nami." He shook her slightly with his shoulder to make sure she was awake. Time had slipped away from him and Zoro wasn't sure if she'd had a few minutes or a few hours to drift off.

"Hm?" Came the sleepy reply as the sheets shifted with her feet.

"How many more times will I have to beat the ass off guys like that?" Though the question seemed daunting the green haired swordsman knew he had to ask. Even if weaklings like Koai were no better than training dummies to him it was human nature to want to at least have _some_ idea about the number.

"Oh…" Nami became quiet for a long time before she answered, unconsciously building up the suspence and adding to Zoro's curiosity.

"No idea."

"…" If he could he would have looked down at her with a skeptical, twitching face.

But she just smiled and sat up again to kiss his forehead. "Sorry about that. I tried to forget those days as soon as they happened."

Guilt had him sucked into a silence and all he could think to do was hold her close against him.

:o:o:o:

"She didn't know." He answered quietly, his eyes still hazy from remembering.

"Ah." Sanji answered as he released a puff of smoke into the chilled air. "Sounds like you'll have a pretty stormy life."

End.

I've got a few scraps and leftovers from writing this fic ((on two different computers)) shall I post them? Hm? Alternate scenes? Hm? Lol we'll call it the "special features" if this is the DVD.


	15. Ho hum, ber bum

Four out of five reviewers want it, so here it is—annoying DVD music plays—

….I still own nothing!!

:o:o:o:o

_Not really sure where this taken from_

This was the Zoro she knew. Not a mushy, gaze longingly into your eyes and swoon over you Zoro. This was her passionate, stretch to the limit of your strength Zoro.

_Probably chapter 12_

But she also felt she had to encourage him back into the carefree loving state of mind.

_Alternative to the 'I forgive you sex' scene in chp 12. I took this one out because it reminded me too much of their first night out in the open on the Going Merry (( chp. 7))_

What she saw was the man she love take hold of her calf and kiss it. A shiver went up her spine and she lay back down, closing her eyes to savor the sensation.

Up to her knee he kissed, his hands always coming first to clear the way of unwanted fabric. When he got to her stomach all he had to do was nuzzle away the satin cloth before being free to plan a kiss just above her navel.

Nami had lain limp while Zoro turned her insides into mush, but now her motionless body began to move as she willing removed the rest of her dress.

Zoro smirked at the victory and lifted himself from the ground to come and kiss her lips once again.

…_not too sure about this one. Possibly 12 as well. Possibly 11. _

Time began to slip by until its existence was suddenly irrelevant. Nighttime and daytime had no meaning. Months, days, hours, it was all expendable. The only thing in their world was kisses and silent soft gestures.

_This is the end of our special features selection and officially the end of this fic. Please look forward to the one I'm considering writing about Kakashi and Sakura from Naruto. ((I told you! I told you I had weird taste!))_

_Thanks for reading, and an even more love-filled thanks to my reviewers, and on top of all that love is an extra large scoop of endearment for all those favrs and alerters! _


	16. Attention Dear Readers

Dear loyal readers of Stormy Life, I'd like to announce that every single chapter has been re-edited, checked and double checked for grammatical and story errors. I'm much happier with the ending now, before it was half-assed work and I apologize for just getting around to fixing it all now.

If you liked the story before, trust me, you'll love it now.

~Love from Plushi

also, on my website I've opening up a commissions section for stories so go check that out or feel free to e-mail me


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